title: The determination of the efficiency of energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers by a new reference material.
abstract: A calibration procedure for the detection efficiency of energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers (EDS) used in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for standardless electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is presented. The procedure is based on the comparison of X-ray spectra from a reference material (RM) measured with the EDS to be calibrated and a reference EDS. The RM is certified by the line intensities in the X-ray spectrum recorded with a reference EDS and by its composition. The calibration of the reference EDS is performed using synchrotron radiation at the radiometry laboratory of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. Measurement of RM spectra and comparison of the specified line intensities enables a rapid efficiency calibration on most SEMs. The article reports on studies to prepare such a RM and on EDS calibration and proposes a methodology that could be implemented in current spectrometer software to enable the calibration with a minimum of operator assistance.
authors.affiliation: ENEA, Research Centre of Brindisi, Brindisi, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvisi
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blome
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griepentrog
authors.forename: Vasile-Dan
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Hodoroaba
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karduck
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mostert
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nacucchi
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Procop
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scholze
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Statham
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Terborg
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Thiot