Evaluation of the Characteristics of X-Ray Excitation under the Electron-Probe Effect Using 2D and 3D Modeling by the Monte Carlo Method

Abstract

The results of the two- and three-dimensional modeling of X-ray excitation during electron-probe microanalysis by the Monte Carlo method are compared. The study is based on a description of the X-ray distribution in pure elements such as Cu, Ag, and Au, which are of interest in the exploration of minerals at gold ore deposits. The absorption corrections calculated using the Monte Carlo models for 2D and 3D x-ray distribution over the sample depth are compared. For electrons with an energy of about 3 keV and more, calculations of the absorption factor for 2D modeling are in satisfactory agreement with those for 3D modeling. The functions of the radial and lateral x-ray distribution in the sample, which characterize the spatial resolution of electron-probe microanalysis, are constructed. The obtained approximations make it possible to estimate the resolution for elements which are generally determined by analytical lines of the K series and for some elements which are determined by L-series lines.