Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis Applied to Thin Surface Films and Stratified Specimens

Authors

J. L. Pouchou, Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales
F. Pichoir, Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales

Abstract

The basic principles of X-ray microanalysis of thin surface films and stratified targets are summarized. The influence of the electron beam accelerating voltage on the analyzed depth is discussed. It is shown that in the field of soft X-rays, the effective depth of analysis is most often limited by the absorption of the radiation in the specimen itself. For high energy radiations, the importance of the secondary emission due to fluorescence excited by the continuous radiation and by the characteristic lines is outlined. The main concepts of the recent ø(ρz) models used for quantitation in the recent software packages are reminded. The performance of the technique for the simultaneous determination of the mass thicknesses and the compositions of the layers in a stratified target is illustrated with several examples. These examples also illustrate the capability and the limitations of the iterative procedure used in the recent software packages such as Strata or Multifilm.

Recommended Citation

Pouchou, J. L. and Pichoir, F. (1993) "Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis Applied to Thin Surface Films and Stratified Specimens," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 1993: No. 7, Article 12.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol1993/iss7/12