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Methods of Quantitative X-Ray Analysis Used in Electron Probe Microanalysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy

  • Chapter
Practical Scanning Electron Microscopy

Abstract

In his thesis,(1) Castaing proposed that quantitative electron probe analysis could be carried out using pure elements as standards. This proposal is accepted, of choice or necessity, by most analysts; the accuracy of the procedure is, however, the subject of much debate. Castaing further stated that the ratio of characteristic x-rays generated from element A in the specimen to pure A was equivalent to the concentration of element A in the specimen. This statement is the basis for quantitative electron probe microanalysis. Castaing’s treatment can be represented by the following considerations. The average number of ionizations n per primary beam electron incident with energy E 0 is(1)

$$ n\;{\rm{ = }}\frac{{{N_{0{\rm{\rho }}}}{C_{\rm{A}}}}}{{{A_{\rm{A}}}}}\int_{{E_0}}^{{E_c}} {\frac{Q}{{dE/dX}}{\rm{ }}dE}$$
(1)

where NdE/dX is the mean energy change of an electron in traveling a distance X, N 0 is Avogadro’s number, ρ is the density of the material, A A is the atomic weight of A, C A is the concentration of element A, E c is the critical excitation energy for whatever characteristic x-ray line is of interest, and Q is the ionization cross section, defined as the probability per unit path length of an electron of given energy causing ionization of a particular electron shell (K, L, or M) of an atom in the specimen. The effect of backscattering electrons can be taken into account by introducing a factor R equal to the ratio of x-ray intensity actually generated to that which would have been generated if all of the incident electrons had remained within the specimen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Materials Research, Metallurgy Division, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., USA

    H. Yakowitz

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Metallurgy and Materials Science Department, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

    Joseph I. Goldstein

  2. U.S Deparment of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C., USA

    Harvey Yakowitz

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Yakowitz, H. (1975). Methods of Quantitative X-Ray Analysis Used in Electron Probe Microanalysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy. In: Goldstein, J.I., Yakowitz, H. (eds) Practical Scanning Electron Microscopy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-4422-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-4422-3_9

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