Semiconductor X-Ray Detection in the Electron Microscope

Abstract

With the introduction of solid state detectors having resolutions of 300 eV or better, the feasibility of an efficient, nongeometry dependent X-ray detector of high resolution became a reality. The use of X-ray detecting systems in conjunction with electron microscopes has been limited to the dispersive type which is highly dependent on geometry or to the gas flow proportional counter which has poor resolution. Recently, high resolution solid state detectors have been used with scanning electron microscopes; however, no use has been made of them in the conventional transmission electron microscope. The usefulness of an elemental analysis together with morphological and crystallographic information is obvious.