Experimental Determination of the Depth Distribution of X-Ray Production Ф(ρz) for X-Ray Energies Below 1 keV

Abstract

The correction procedure for the quantitative electron probe microanalysis assumes knowledge of the X-ray production as a function of depth in the excited material. The absorption correction requires the relative intensity generated in the depth ρz to calculate the differences in absorption of the generated X-radiation between the specimen to be analyzed and the standard (ρ = density). The so-called atomic number correction deals with different backscattering and X-ray generation in the specimen and the standard, and involves knowledge of the total X-ray intensity generated in the target. The absolute depth distribution of X-ray production Ф (ρz) can provide the required information for both the absorption and atomic number corrections.