Scatter spectra method for x-ray fluorescent analysis with optical components

• Main Authors: SCRUGGS BRUCE E, ELAM WILLIAM T, SHEN ROBERT B, NICOLOSI JOSEPH A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.04.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; IRRADIATION DEVICES; MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION; MEASURING; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PHYSICS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TESTING

A method of measuring the transfer function of an X-ray optical component over a wide range of X-ray energies, which includes the steps of: using an X-ray optical component between an X-ray source and a scattering target to obtain a first scatter spectrum; obtaining a second scatter spectrum from the same or a similar target without the X-ray optical component between the X-ray source and the scattering target; and calculating the transfer function by the ratio of the first scatter spectrum to the second scatter spectrum. The method can be used to improve the accuracy of X-ray quantitative methods in an apparatus where an X-ray optical component is used between the X-ray source and the specimen to be investigated by utilizing the method described above.