A new large solid angle multi-element silicon drift detector system for low energy X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Windowless X-ray detectors are routinely used on VG HB501 STEMs allowing detection of all elements from B upwards (fig 1). The original design for the HB501 built by Link Analytical had a theoretical solid angle of 0.077sr but recently a new design has appeared with a solid angle of 0.181sr. In order to compare these two designs it would be useful to develop a test that could be carried out on the microscope column that would accurately characterise the performance of the detector in the low energy range (<1keV) as well as at higher energies. Recently there has been much interest in characterising X-ray detector microscope systems using the peak to background (P' B) ratio from specially prepared evaporated Cr films. As an extension to this method this type of specimen has-been used to look at the ratio of effective detector solid angles and also the low energy area by comparing CrK to CrL intensities in order to fully characterise the detectors on VG HB501 STEMs.

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Practical Measurement of X-ray Detection Performance of a Large Solid-Angle Silicon Drift Detector in an Aberration-Corrected STEM

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927613008313 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 19 (S2) ◽

pp. 1264-1265 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

M. Watanabe ◽

C. Wade

Keyword(s):

Solid Angle ◽

Detection Performance ◽

Silicon Drift Detector ◽

X Ray ◽

Aberration Corrected Stem ◽

Aberration Corrected ◽

Practical Measurement

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, August 4 – August 8, 2013.

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Applications of Soft X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy in Materials Science

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-437-137 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 437 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T.A. Callcotit ◽

J.J. Jia ◽

L. Zhou ◽

D.L. Ederer ◽

L.J. Terminello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fluorescence Spectroscopy ◽

Electronic Excitation ◽

Materials Science ◽

Low Energy ◽

Complex Materials ◽

Energy Excitation ◽

X Ray ◽

Electronic Raman Scattering ◽

Fundamental Understanding ◽

Excitation Processes

AbstractSoft x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy provides an element and angular momentum selective measure of the valence band density of states in complex materials. Results are presented demonstrating the use of SXF both as a means of solving materials problems and as a means of increasing our fundamental understanding of low energy excitation processes in various types of materials. As examples of materials applications, we discuss the L2,3 spectra of Si in various environments, and describe radiation damage studies in Beryl. Fundamental new insights are provided by the study of SXF spectra excited near an x-ray threshold. For such excitation, recent work demonstrates that an electronic Raman scattering process can greatly modify the normal fluorescence spectrum. We discuss near threshold studies of graphite, h-BN and NiS to demonstrate that the nature of the electronic excitation processes differs dramatically in various classes of materials and provides important new insights into their properties.

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