Low voltage imaging and X-ray microanalysis in the SEM: challenges and opportunities

Development of an energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analyzer employing superconducting tunnel junction array detectors toward nanometer‐scale elemental mapping

“…Recently, by using silicon drift detectors (SDDs) with a large sensitive area (~100 mm 2 ) as X‐ray detectors, rapid elemental mappings have been realized. In particular, low‐acceleration‐voltage SEMs (LVSEMs) theoretically allow identification and quantification of the elemental composition of a sample surface with a lateral resolution on the nanometer scale . However, fluorescence X‐rays emitted from samples in LVSEMs are only soft X‐rays, and fluorescence X‐ray spectra in conventional EDX analyzers are acquired by semiconductor detectors such as SDDs or Si(Li) detectors, whose energy‐resolving power is not sufficient to clearly resolve soft X‐rays .…”

FEGSEM X-Ray Mapping System with Multiple SDDs for Quantitative X-Ray Mapping and Imaging

“…Our research aims at developing post processing techniques to improve the quantitation of X-ray map data and to develop further post processing techniques for improved characterisation as an aid in assessing the practical properties of complex materials [6][7][8]. This also includes developing techniques of handling X-ray mapping data collected from multiple X-ray detectors spaced around the column.…”

Development of LVSEM-EDS Analyzer Utilizing Superconducting X-ray Detector Toward Nanometer-scale Elemental Mapping of CFRP/Adhesive Interface

“…An energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyser combined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is suitable to obtain spatial and quantitative information on the elemental composition of a sample non-destructively. In particular, low-acceleration-voltage SEMs (LVSEMs) theoretically allow evaluating the information of a sample surface with a nanometer lateral resolution [1]. However, it isn't suitable to use energy-dispersive X-ray detectors such as silicon drift detectors (SDDs) [2] or Si(Li) detectors in the conventional EDS analysers for obtaining X-ray spectra from samples with a low acceleration voltage condition, because the energy-resolving power of conventional energy-dispersive X-ray detectors is insufficient to clearly resolve characteristics X-ray peaks of light elements (C, N, O, etc) in the CFRP and adhesive in the soft X-ray region.…”