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X-Ray Absorption Correction for Quantitative Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopic Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy of Spherical Nanoparticles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2016

Thomas Slater ,
Yiqiang Chen ,
Gregory Auton ,
Nestor Zaluzec  and
Sarah Haigh
Thomas Slater*
Affiliation:
School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Yiqiang Chen
Affiliation:
School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Gregory Auton
Affiliation:
School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Nestor Zaluzec
Affiliation:
School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Electron Microscopy Center, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
Sarah Haigh*
Affiliation:
School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
*
*Corresponding authors. [email protected]; [email protected]
*Corresponding authors. [email protected]; [email protected]
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Abstract

A new method to perform X-ray absorption correction for spherical particles in quantitative energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope is presented. An absorption correction factor is derived and simulated data is presented encompassing a range of X-ray absorption conditions. Theoretical calculations are compared with experimental data of X-ray counts from Au nanoparticles to verify the derived methodology. The effect of detector elevation angle is considered and a comparison with thin-film absorption correction is included.

Keywords

XEDSSTEMnanoparticlesquantificationabsorption correction
Type
Materials Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 2016 , pp. 440 - 447
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2016 

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