Spatial Resolution and Detectability Limits in Thin-Film X-ay Microanalysis

Abstract

The major advantage of performing x-ray microanalysis in the analytical electron microscope (AEM) is the high compositional spatial resolution and the chemical analysis sensitivity. The spatial resolution (R) is dependent on the size of the focused electron probe (d) and the amount of electron beam broadening (b). The spatial resolution across a discrete interface is:The amount of beam broadening is directly proportional to the thickness (t) to the 3/2 power and inversely proportional to the beam voltage (E). Optimizing d and b involve a consideration of the minimum x-ray intensity necessary for analysis since the x-ray intensity is decreased by minimizing d and t. To obtain the optimum spatial resolution one should use the thinnest possible specimen, a high kV AEM and a high brightness field emission gun (FEG). Figure 1 shows a Ni composition profile across a planar lOnm precipitate in the plessite region of the Grant iron meteorite. A spatial resolution of 2.5nm was obtained from a 20nm thick sample analyzed in a VG Microscopes, Ltd. HB 501 FEG AEM (probe diameter 1.8nm (FWTM)).