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EDS Detector Cooling and Performance Insights

The document contains answers to four questions about EDS instrumentation and analysis techniques: 1. The Si(Li) detector in an EDS instrument needs to be cooled by liquid nitrogen to minimize noise and detector damage, and to prevent diffusion of lithium when a bias voltage is applied. 2. Light elements like carbon and oxygen can be detected without a beryllium window on the EDS detector, since beryllium windows absorb low-energy x-rays and prevent detection of elements with atomic numbers less than 5. 3. Tilting a sample in an SEM towards the EDS detector can improve the signal and signal-to-noise ratio by changing the penetration depth of electrons and eman

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Dr-Murad Ali
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9 views1 page

EDS Detector Cooling and Performance Insights

The document contains answers to four questions about EDS instrumentation and analysis techniques: 1. The Si(Li) detector in an EDS instrument needs to be cooled by liquid nitrogen to minimize noise and detector damage, and to prevent diffusion of lithium when a bias voltage is applied. 2. Light elements like carbon and oxygen can be detected without a beryllium window on the EDS detector, since beryllium windows absorb low-energy x-rays and prevent detection of elements with atomic numbers less than 5. 3. Tilting a sample in an SEM towards the EDS detector can improve the signal and signal-to-noise ratio by changing the penetration depth of electrons and eman

Uploaded by

Dr-Murad Ali
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Q1: Why should the Si(Li) detector of an EDS instrument be cooled by liquid nitrogen?

Cooling minimizes the noise. It also minimizes diffusion of Li when bias voltage is applied;
application of voltage without cooling will damage detector. Newer detectors need cooling only
when working, not in between usage.
Q2: Why may we detect light elements such as C and O without a beryllium window on the EDS
detector?
Beryllium windows in front of the SiLi detector can absorb low-energy X- rays (i.e. EDS
detectors cannot detect the presence of elements with atomic number less than 5, meaning
that EDS cannot detect H, He, Li, or Be).
Q3: What change in the EDS spectrum do you expect when a specimen is tilted to face the detector in an
SEM ?
Tilting the sample with respect to the electron probe can change the depth the electron probe can
penetrate into the sample and, therefore, the depth from which sample characteristic x-rays can
emanate. Not much affect at small tilt, but larger effects with large tilt. Tilting the sample,
generally in the direction of the detector, can greatly improve the signal and the signal-to-noise
ratio.
Q4: Can you use the ZAF method for quantitative analysis for EDS in a TEM? Why or why not?

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