Investigations towards optimizing EDS analysis by the Cliff‐Lorimer method in scanning transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

The critical specimen thickness up to which the Cliff-Lorimer method can be used without additional corrections was measured on some steels and nickel-base alloys for soft x-rays with line energies between 1 and 3 keV. The critical thickness values measured are 50 om at 1 keV and 450 to 500 nm at 3 keV. These resdts indicated that verification of the calibration measurements nsed for determining the correction factors was necessary in the case of soft radiation. The measurements led to a further optimization of the parameters in the equation nsed for calculating the ionization cross-seetion.The published equations for absorption correction, which becomes necessary when the critical specimen thickness is exceeded, were found to lead to an overcorrection in the case of very thin foils and an insufficient correction in the case of thicker specimens. However, it is only of significance if the specimens are very thick or errors less than 5% are aimed for. Received

Mechanism of Reactive Compatibilization of PLLA/PVDF Blends Investigated by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

“…300 × 300 pixel maps were obtained by integration of the signals for 20 min scanning. The maps and the extracted EDS spectra were quantified by Cliff-Lorimer method . The removal of continuum background and deconvolution of the EDS spectra were carried out using ESPRI software (Bruker AS, Germany).…”

“…The maps and the extracted EDS spectra were quantified by Cliff-Lorimer method. 34 The removal of continuum background and deconvolution of the EDS spectra were carried out using ESPRI software (Bruker AS, Germany). The dispersity of the blend samples was quantitatively evaluated by digital image analysis of STEM images using ImageJ 1.51 software.…”

Segregation-Assisted Plasticity in Ni-Based Superalloys

“…Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) of the foils was performed on an image-corrected Titan3ä 60 to 300 kV with a Super-X detector utilizing the Bruker Esprit software. Integrated line scans were conducted and quantified through Cliff-Lorimer analysis [19] using experimental K a energies for Ni, Co, Al, Cr, and Ti. L a was used for the case of Mo.…”

Role of Auger electrons in X‐ray excitation by electron beam

“…Also, the probability of creating Auger electrons increases because the X‐ray fluorescence yield decreases ( ω L < ω K ).Our results for the contribution of L‐MM Auger electrons presented below are estimates, because we assume that the experimental parameter of ionization for L ‐shell, b L , is equal to that for the K ‐shell. We have to make this approximation because of lack of data on b L , but it is also based on the results of Hoeft and Schwaab, where b L was found to be between 0.50 (Rh) and 0.79 (Pb). Also, averaged values of the energies of Auger electrons are used in calculations, even though these energies change slightly depending on energies of L ‐ and M ‐shells participating in emission of Auger electrons.…”

“…Calculations of M‐NN electrons contribution are estimates only because of the following reasons: First, we assume that the experimental parameter b M in Equation () is equal to that used for K‐LL and L‐MM electrons ( b M = 0.606). According to results presented in, b M may be close to 0.75, but there is clear lack of experimental data on this parameter. We have used same value for b M in order to perform all calculations in unified way.…”