Quantitative electron probe X-ray microanalysis of thin objects using an independent mass determination method

Abstract

Elemental mass fraction determinations on thin biological specimens by quantitative electron probe X-ray microanalysis commonly use a total mass estimation based on registration of X-ray continuum. We have tested whether the accurary of such determinations on individual biological objects can be improved when a densitometric method for mass determination is used. Air-dried femtoliter droplets with dry masses in the order of 10 −16 kg were used as model objects. An improvement of over two-fold upon the continuum method could be achieved.