Better X-ray microanalysis

X-ray microanalysis: doing more with less - how improvements in  materials characterization have increased sample throughput and confidence in results.  By Nicholas A. Bulloss, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) in an electron microscope, are an essential set of analytical tools used for the characterization of materials. Industrial materials and processing have become increasingly advanced  necessitating the observation and analysis of samples at ever increasing magnifications.
Advanced electron microscope technologies (e.g. FEG-SEM, STEM) have enabled the observation of materials under such high magnification conditions. Correspondingly, developments in x-ray microanalysis hardware (x-ray detectors, electronics) and software (data acquisition and processing) have significantly improved analytical performance under low beam energy and low x-ray count conditions. Additionally, this ability to do “more with less” has afforded increased sample throughput for the typical microanalysis lab and increased confidence in analytical results.

This article provides examples of how modern x-ray microanalytical instrumentation and data processing have improved the characterization of materials in the electron microscope.

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