Training

Operation of Energy Dispersed X-ray Spectroscopy for Microanalysis
(Oxford INCA EDS operated with Quanta FEG-SEM)

Chemical analyses of solids can be routinely carried out via the use of spectrometers attached to electron microscopes. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis is a microanalytical technique that uses the characteristic spectrum of x-rays emitted by the specimen after excitation by high-energy electrons to obtain information about its elemental composition. The range of elements detectable by EDX ranges from Boron to Uranium. The spatial resolution is determined by the probe size, beam broadening within the specimen, and the effect of backscattered electrons on the specimen around the point of analysis.

References

1. J. Goldstein et al. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis (Plenum, New York, 1992).
2. J.E. Wood, D.B. Williams, and J.I. Goldstein. J. Microsc. 133, 255 (1984).
3. J.C.H. Spence and T. Tafto, J. Microsc. 130, 147 (1983).