Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week for 2 weeks, 4 hours / session

Description

The electron microprobe provides a complete micrometer-scale quantitative chemical analysis of inorganic solids. The method is nondestructive and utilizes characteristic X-rays excited by an electron beam incident on a flat surface of the sample. This course provides an introduction to the theory of X-ray microanalysis through wavelength and energy dispersive spectrometry (WDS and EDS), ZAF matrix correction procedures and scanning electron imaging with back-scattered electron (BSE), secondary electron (SE), X-ray using WDS or EDS (elemental mapping), and cathodoluminescence (CL). Lab sessions involve hands-on use of the JEOL JXA-8200 Superprobe.

Prerequisites

Permission of instructor.

Syllabus

Theory of X-ray Spectrometry

• Electron-specimen interactions
  • Elastic scattering: Electron backscattering
  • Inelastic scattering: Secondary electron excitation, Cathodoluminescence, Continuum X-ray generation, Characteristic X-ray generation
  • Interaction volume
• Matrix corrections
  • Atomic number, Absorption and Characteristic fluorescence corrections
  • Continuum fluorescence correction
  • φ(ρz) corrections

Instrumentation

• Detectors in the electron microprobe
  • Electron detectors: Everhart-Thornley and Solid-state diode detectors
  • Cathodoluminescence detector
  • X-ray detectors: Energy dispersive and Wavelength dispersive spectrometers
  • Analyzing crystals and proportional counters in WDS

Imaging Techniques

• Compositional and topographic imaging
• Elemental X-ray mapping
• Cathodoluminescence imaging

Quantitative Analysis

• Sample preparation
• Wavelength dispersive spectrometry
• Background and peak overlap corrections

Recommended Textbook

Goldstein, J. I., D. E. Newbury, et al. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis. 3rd ed. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003. ISBN: 9780306472923. [Preview with Google Books]

Grading

The basis for the grade is completion of all the lab exercises (problem sets) and the quiz.