Abstract
The system resolution of an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer in a combined transmission and scanning electron microscope was found to be degraded under some operating conditions. Degradation was only observed when the scanning coils were activated. It was worse at lower magnifications and rapid scan rates. Degradation also varied as a function of the distance of the detector from the electron-optical axis. The effect was attributed to electronic induction in the detector from the scanning coils of the microscope. An example of the effect of this error on quantitation showed that, using a 75 mmol kg -1 calcium standard, a 13.5 eV broadening of the system resolution gave a 22% decrease of the apparent concentration. The severity of this effect was variable in other instrument/spectrometer combinations. Scanning coil-induced noise may go undetected unless there is an automatic evaluation of the system resolution of each spectrum.
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