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Related Experiment Videos

Measures for spectral quality in low-voltage X-ray microanalysis.

D E Newbury1

  • 1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8371, USA.

Scanning
|January 6, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Low-voltage electron microscopy can suffer from sample charging artifacts. Using the Duane-Hunt limit and time-series analysis helps detect charging, with conductive coatings or grids offering solutions.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Physics
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Characteristic x-ray production is sensitive to overvoltage, the ratio of beam energy to excitation energy.
  • Low-voltage electron microscopy (beam energy ≤ 5 keV) is prone to sample charging, affecting x-ray peak intensities.
  • Sample charging can introduce significant artifacts in microanalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of sample charging on low-voltage x-ray microanalysis.
  • To identify methods for detecting and mitigating charging artifacts in electron microscopy.
  • To ensure accurate elemental analysis in challenging low-voltage conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of overvoltage effects on characteristic x-ray production.
  • Utilizing the Duane-Hunt bremsstrahlung limit as a diagnostic for sample charging.
  • Employing time series experiments and dynamic energy windows to monitor dynamic charging effects.
  • Evaluating the efficacy of conductive surface coatings and conductive grids.

Main Results:

  • Low overvoltage in low-energy electron beams exacerbates sample charging issues.
  • The Duane-Hunt limit can indicate static charging, but dynamic effects require further investigation.
  • Time series analysis and dynamic energy windows are effective for observing dynamic charging.
  • Conductive coatings and grids successfully mitigate charging artifacts, enabling data acquisition.

Conclusions:

  • Sample charging is a critical artifact in low-voltage x-ray microanalysis that can distort results.
  • The Duane-Hunt limit is a useful, but not exhaustive, indicator of charging.
  • Dynamic charging effects necessitate specific monitoring techniques.
  • Surface coatings or conductive grids are practical solutions for obtaining reliable x-ray spectra from charging samples.

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