Three-dimensional measurement of elemental distribution in minute samples by combination of in-air micro-PIXE and STIM

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 267; no. 12; pp. 2125 - 2127
• Main Authors: Satoh, T., Oikawa, M., Kamiya, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.06.2009
• Subjects: Micro-PIXE; STIM; Micro-PIXE; STIM; 41.75.ak; 29.30.Kv
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2009.03.067

A technique of measuring three-dimensional (3D) distribution of trace elements in a minute sample was studied using the in-air micro-PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) system. A 3D distribution was acquired by means of reconstructing numbers of projection images of the sample obtained by micro-PIXE analyses from different directions. This is basically the same technique as X-ray CT (Computed Tomography). However, when this technique was applied to the in-air micro-PIXE analysis, the X-ray yields should be corrected in taking account of such parameters as the X-ray production cross section, the X-ray attenuation coefficient, the energy of an incident particle, and the 3D densities of major elements in the analysis sample. In this study, STIM (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy)-CT was used to obtain the 3D density map of the sample. Corrected 3D distributions of sulfur and iron in a minute test sample were successfully measured with this technique in combination of STIM-CT and in-air micro-PIXE.