SILICON DRIFT DETECTOR INCORPORATED INTO A WAVELENGTH-DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROMETER (SD-WDS) - ALLOWING BREMSSTRAHLUNG DETERMINATION BY THEORETICAL CALCULATION

摘要

In wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (WDS), analysis a significant proportion of the analysis time is taken up by the need to measure backgrounds by moving the spectrometers and counting on both sides of the X-ray peak. For trace elements, this means at least double the collection time of the peak count. With a WDS incorporating a high-resolution silicon drift detector (SDD), referred to as SD-WDS [1-3] in place of the gas counter (GC), it is possible to calculate the bremsstrahlung at the peak intensity removing the need to measure the background, reducing the total analysis times. It also reduces errors incurred by repeated spectrometer moves and allows the background to be directly determined at the peak position as opposed to being interpolated from off peak measurements. The study of bremsstrahlung (also referred to as continuum or background radiation) is now much easier to do using the SD-WDS, as there are fewer interferences, especially high order diffraction [4].