Combined analysis with WDS/EDS spectrometers in SEM

¹ Elexience, 9 rue des Petits-Ruisseaux, BP 61, 91371 Verrières-le-Buisson Cedex, France
² CEA, IRAMIS, Service des Photons Atomes et Molécules, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
³ CNRS, Laboratoire Francis Perrin, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁴ École Centrale de Lille, Pôle Fonderie, BP 48, 59651 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France

Corresponding authors: marc.briant@cea.fr david.balloy@ec-lille.fr

Received: 5 September 2007
Revised: 16 March 2008
Accepted: 17 June 2008
Published online: 17 July 2008

Abstract

Wavelength dispersive and energy dispersive spectrometers were fitted on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to perform combined analysis and to use the advantages of the two spectrometers. The combined system is simple, adaptable to a lot of SEM and cheaper than Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA). Its originality is to combine two spectrometers: a parallel beam WDS with a silicon drift EDS spectrometer. This makes analysis easier (easy to find the optimum parameters to set up, as beam current) and saves time. With this system, quantitative analysis is more accurate than with EDS alone, better resolution can be achieved, less overlap of lines and better spatial resolution can be obtained. A sample recently studied by a microanalyst association was analysed with the present system in order to test its efficiency. In a second series of analyses, a sample showing difficulties (peak overlaps, small phases, low mass fraction) was analysed and good results were achieved.