Microcalorimeter Detectors and Low Voltage SEM Microanalysis

The development of the microcalorimeter energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (µ-cal EDS) offers a significant advancement in X-ray microanalysis, especially for electron beam instruments. The benefits are especially pronounced for low voltage (≤5 kV) X-ray microanalysis in the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) where the high energy resolution of the µ-cal EDS minimizes the peak overlaps among the myriad of K, L, M and N lines in the 0–5 keV energy range. The availability of L- and M-shell X-ray lines for microanalysis somewhat offsets the absence of X-ray lines traditionally used above 5 keV energy. The benefits and challenges of the µ-cal EDS will be discussed, including P/B ratio for characteristic X-rays, collection angle, count rate capability and the impact of polycapillary X-ray optics on microanalysis.