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Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 1 session / week for 4 weeks, 4 hours / session

Description

The electron microprobe provides a complete micron-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 by wavelength and energy dispersive spectrometry (WDS and EDS), ZAF matrix correction procedures and imaging techniques including scanning back-scattered electron (BE), scanning secondary electron (SE), scanning X-ray (by WDS or EDS, also known as compositional or elemental maps), and scanning cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. 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

Imaging Techniques

  • Topographic imaging
  • Compositional imaging with wavelength dispersive spectrometry
  • Cathodoluminescence imaging

Quantitative analysis

  • Sample preparation
  • Wavelength and energy dispersive techniques
  • Background and peak overlap corrections
  • Light element analysis

Recommended Textbook

Amazon logo Goldstein, J. I., D. E. Newbury, D. C. Joy, C. E. Lyman, P. Echlin, E. Lifshin, L. Sawyer, and J. R. Michael. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003. ISBN: 9780306472923.

Other Textbook

Amazon logo Reed, S. J. B. Electron Microprobe Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy in Geology. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780521848756.

Grading

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