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On the Peak to Background Ratio of X-Rays emitted from Rough Surfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

Raynald Gauvin
Affiliation:
Corresponding Author, Département de génie mecanique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
Eric Lifshin
Affiliation:
General Electric Corporate Research and Development Center, Schenectady, NY12301.
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Extract

The classical schemes to convert the x-ray intensity into concentration, using the ZAF or the ϕ (ρz ) methods, are valid for specimens having homogeneous composition and flat surfaces . Quantitative schemes have also been developed for x-ray microanalysis of multi-layered specimens. More recently, a quantitative method has been proposed for the microanalysis of spherical inclusions embedded in a matrix as well as Monte Carlo simulations of x-ray emission from porous materials.

For the case of specimens having a non-planar surface, a quantitative method based on the peak to background ratio, using photons of the same energy, has been proposed1. However, this method has some pitfalls. First, this method is based on the assumption that the peak to background ratio is independent of the specimen roughness which is not strictly correct because the ionization cross sections and the bremstrallung cross sections are not the same. Therefore, the shapes of the ϕ (p z ) curves are not the same for characteristic and continuum photon of the same energy resulting in different absorption corrections. The result is that the peak to background ratio will vary with beam position on a rough surface.

Type
X-Ray Microanalysis of Rough Surfaces
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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References

References:

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