A Fast f-Ratio Quantification Method for SEM-EDS Based on the XPP Analytical Model and Iterative Algorithms

Although the f-ratio method effectively eliminates the influence of beam current fluctuations in scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) quantitative analysis, its practical application remains strictly limited by the reliance on time-consuming Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. To overcome this fundamental computational bottleneck, a novel fast f-ratio quantification method combining the XPP analytical model with a dynamic iterative numerical algorithm is proposed in this work. By substituting the MC simulation with the XPP model, the computation time for theoretical intensities is drastically reduced from hours to milliseconds. Experimental validations performed on binary systems (CdSe, InAs, and ZnSe) and a ternary mineral (FeAsS) demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a remarkably low quantification error ranging from 0.6% to 2.8% after merely a few iterations, completely circumventing the requirement of a preset standard database. In summary, this study provides a new framework for real-time, high-precision standardless or standard-limited EDS quantitative analysis.