Chemical State Analysis of Tungsten and Tungsten Oxides Using an Electron Probe Microanalyzer

Among the ultra-light elements B, C, N, and O nitrogen is the most difficult element to deal with in the electron probe microanalyzer. This is mainly caused by the severe absorption that N-Kα radiation suffers in carbon which is abundantly present in the detection system (lead-stearate crystal, carbonaceous counter window). As a result the peak-to-background ratios for N-Kα measured with a conventional lead-stearate crystal can attain values well below unity in many binary nitrides . An additional complication can be caused by the presence of interfering higher-order reflections from the metal partner in the nitride specimen; notorious examples are elements such as Zr and Nb. In nitrides containing these elements is is virtually impossible to carry out an accurate background subtraction which becomes increasingly important with lower and lower peak-to-background ratios. The use of a synthetic multilayer crystal such as W/Si (2d-spacing 59.8 Å) can bring significant improvements in terms of both higher peak count rates as well as a strong suppression of higher-order reflections.

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Study on the Fe-Ti Oxide Minerals by Means of Electron Probe Microanalyzer

Journal of the Mining and Metallurgical Institute of Japan ◽

10.2473/shigentosozai1953.81.920_2 ◽

1965 ◽

Vol 81 (920) ◽

pp. 2-9

Author(s):

Yoshinori FUJIKI ◽

Hideki IMAI

Keyword(s):

Electron Probe ◽

Electron Probe Microanalyzer ◽

Oxide Minerals

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Surface chemical analysis. High-resolution Auger electron spectrometers. Calibration of energy scales for elemental and chemical-state analysis

10.3403/02704860 ◽

2002 ◽

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Chemical Analysis ◽

Auger Electron ◽

Chemical State ◽

Surface Chemical ◽

Surface Chemical Analysis ◽

State Analysis

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Measurement And Simulation Of X-Ray Emission From Multilayered Structures In Electron Probe Microanalysis.

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927600013714 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 5 (S2) ◽

pp. 78-79

Author(s):

C. Merlet ◽

X. Llovet ◽

F. Salvat

Keyword(s):

Electron Probe ◽

Numerical Models ◽

Carbon Layer ◽

Single Element ◽

Surface Ionization ◽

Copper Films ◽

Multilayered Structures ◽

X Ray ◽

Electron Probe Microanalyzer ◽

Quantitative Epma

Studies of x-ray emission from thin films on substrates using an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) provide useful information on the characteristics of x-ray generation by electron beams. In this study, EPMA measurements of multilayered samples were performed in order to test and improve analytical and numerical models used for quantitative EPMA. These models provide relatively accurate results for samples consisting of layers with similar average atomic numbers, because of their similar properties regarding electron transport and x-ray generation. On the contrary, these models find difficulties to describe the process when the various layers have very different atomic numbers. In a previous work, we studied the surface ionization of thin copper films of various thicknesses deposited on substrates with very different atomic numbers. In the present communication, the study is extended to the case of multilayered specimens.The studied specimens consisted of thin copper films deposited on a carbon layer which, in turn, was placed on a variety of single-element substrates, ranging from Be to Bi.

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