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Measurement of Total Calcium in Neurons by Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis
Published on: November 20, 2013
Microcalorimeter-type energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer for a transmission electron microscope
Toru Hara1, Keiichi Tanaka, Keisuke Maehata
1Advanced Nano-Characterization Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan. HARA.Toru@nims.go.jp
Journal of Electron Microscopy
|September 1, 2009
Summary
A novel microcalorimeter energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) for transmission electron microscopes (TEM) achieves a sevenfold improvement in energy resolution for nanoscale compositional analysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Physics
Background:
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is crucial for nanoscale analysis.
- Current energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers (EDS) have limitations in energy resolution.
- High-accuracy compositional analysis requires improved elemental detection capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a new EDS system with a microcalorimeter detector for enhanced nanoscale compositional analysis.
- To achieve significantly higher energy resolution compared to existing technologies.
- To enable more precise elemental identification and quantification in materials.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a superconducting transition-edge-sensor microcalorimeter detector with a TEM.
- Implementation of a cryogen-free cooling system using mechanical and dilution refrigerators for temperature stability.
- Specialized design of the cooling system and detector arrangement to optimize performance and minimize interference.
Main Results:
- Achieved an energy resolution of 21.92 eV (FWHM) at the Cr K alpha line.
- Demonstrated a sevenfold improvement in energy resolution over typical commercial Si(Li) detectors (approx. 140 eV).
- The system covers an energy range of 1-20 keV with high resolution, capable of resolving most elemental peaks.
Conclusions:
- The developed microcalorimeter EDS system offers unprecedented energy resolution for nanoscale compositional analysis.
- This advancement enables highly accurate elemental analysis, surpassing current limitations.
- Further development is expected to lead to practical applications in various scientific fields.
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