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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Synchrotron X-ray Microdiffraction and Fluorescence Imaging of Mineral and Rock Samples
Published on: June 19, 2018
Automated three-dimensional X-ray analysis using a dual-beam FIB
Miroslava Schaffer1, Julian Wagner, Bernhard Schaffer
1Research Institute for Electron Microscopy, Graz University of Technology, Steyrergasse 17, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
Abstract:
We present a fully automated method for three-dimensional (3D) elemental analysis demonstrated using a ceramic sample of chemistry (Ca)MgTiO(x). The specimen is serially sectioned by a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS) is used for elemental analysis of each cross-section created. A 3D elemental model is reconstructed from the stack of two-dimensional (2D) data. This work concentrates on issues arising from process automation, the large sample volume of approximately 17 x 17 x 10 microm(3), and the insulating nature of the specimen. A new routine for post-acquisition data correction of different drift effects is demonstrated. Furthermore, it is shown that EDXS data may be erroneous for specimens containing voids, and that back-scattered electron images have to be used to correct for these errors.
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