EDS Analysis with Silicon Drift Detectors at High Spatial Resolution

Advances in Low Energy X-ray Analysis

Jun. 11, 2012

Fig. 3: High spatial resolution EDS maps of semiconductors. a) 150 nm thin sample prepared by focused ion beam.

Fig. 3: High spatial resolution EDS maps of semiconductors. a) 150 nm thin sample prepared by ... more

Continuing technological advances require the element analysis of increasingly smaller structures in many fields of materials science, including semiconductors and nanotechnology in general. The element composition of thin electron transparent samples can be analyzed in the nm-range using transmission electron microscopes (TEM) or, specific sample holders provided, in the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Nevertheless both methods often require complex sample preparation. An alternative method is to analyze bulk samples with a FE-SEM. In order to decrease the excitation volume for generated X-rays, low accelerating voltages are required. Consequently, only low energy X-ray lines can be evaluated. Specific examples of this approach are discussed below. They demonstrate that features in bulk structures at the sub-µm scale can be analyzed very quickly using silicon drift detector (SDD) technology and modern data processing.

Email request

Company Homepage

Bruker Nano Analytics
Schwarzschildstr. 12
12489 Berlin
Germany

Tel: +49 30 670 990 0
Fax: +49 30 670 990 30
Web: http://www.bruker-nano.de

Imaging & Microscopy Issue 4 , 2012 as free epaper or pdf download

Imaging-GIT.com

Applications

EDS Analysis with Silicon Drift Detectors at High Spatial Resolution

Advances in Low Energy X-ray Analysis

Reader comments (0)

GIT Verlag