Improved Count Rate and Resolution Performance of a Thermoelectrically Cooled Si(Li) X-ray Detector

: A new energy-dispersive spectrometer Si(Li) detector for microanalysis applications, cooled by a thermoelectric (Peltier) refrigerator, was significantly improved with regard to the resolution and high count-rate performance. This new detector was mounted on a JEOL 6400 scanning electron microscope, and several application tests were run to analyze its performance. The common resolution test using an Fe55 radioactive source was performed, and it was compared with the conventional liquid nitrogen (LN) detector. The resolution at low and high count-rate was found to be slightly less than the LN detector's performance; however, these differences are minor and most application requirements were easily met. The thermoelectric cooling mechanism was found to be stable and reliable with no degradation in its performance recorded during several years of use. The collected data show improved performance by the new thermoelectrically cooled (TEC) detector compared with the old TEC design and underscore performance very close to the LN product. For most microanalysis applications, the new TEC X-ray detector can easily replace the LN detector and avoid the maintenance associated with LN filling.