Progress in laboratory grazing emission x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract

Recently, grazing emission x-ray fluorescence (GEXRF) spectrometry, also referred to as grazing exit spectrometry, attained a special position in the field of XRF. The technique exploits the advantages of the total-reflection phenomenon as is done in the related total-reflection XRF technique. The prospects of grazing emission techniques stimulated researchers to explore this field more in detail. This paper describes recent developments in laboratory GEXRF spectrometry together with the applications already performed. The focus is on the progress of a GEXRF spectrometer at normal incidence for the analysis of light elements by using a wavelength-dispersive detector. With a prototype GEXRF instrument, it is demonstrated that good limits of detection, at the high 10 10 at cm -2 for level wafer analysis and sub-nanogram level for trace analysis of environmental samples, can be achieved.