Wavelength-dispersive total-reflection X-ray fluorescence with an efficient Johansson spectrometer and an undulator X-ray source: detection of 10-16 g-level trace metals.
The present paper reports significant enhancement of the detection power for total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). The employment of an efficient wavelength-dispersive spectrometer rather than a conventional Si(Li) detector, as well as the use of a quasi-monochromatic undulator X-ray source, completely changed the quality of X-ray florescence spectra. The energy resolution is 20 times better, which effectively contributes to reducing the low-energy tail of the scattering background and to separating neighboring X-ray florescence peaks. Another advantage is its capability with respect to high-counting-rate measurements, which ensure the detection of weak signals from trace materials. The absolute and relative detection limit for nickel are 3.1 x 10(-16) g and 3.1 ppt (pg/g) for a 0.1-microL droplet of pure water, respectively, which is nearly 50 times better than the current best data achieved by conventional energy-dispersive TXRF using a Si(Li) detector system.
Sakurai
Kenji
K
National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. sakurai@yuhgiri.nims.go.jp
Eba
Hiromi
H
Inoue
Katsuaki
K
Yagi
Naoto
N
D004867:Equipment Design; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
D008670:Metals; D014131:Trace Elements; D009532:Nickel