Electron Channeling: A Problem for X-Ray Microanalysis in Materials Science

Abstract

Electron channeling effects, within the scanning electron microscope, are expected to create measurable signal intensity variations in all product signals that result from the scattering of the electron beam within a crystalline specimen. Of particular interest to the x-ray microanalyst, are any variations that occur within the characteristic x-ray signal that are not directly related to a specimen composition variation. Thus many researchers have worked to document the effect of crystallographic orientation on the local x-ray yield produced by a specimen. However, the vast majority of these studies were carried out in regards to thin foil specimens examined in transmission. Only a few x-ray microanalysis studies specifically addressed these effects in bulk specimen materials, and the analyses were generally carried out 35 to 40 years ago, at common scanning electron microscope, microanalysis overvoltage (>1.5). At these overvoltage levels, the anomalous transmission effect is generally very weak (typically <5% difference between intensity maxima and minima).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA489998

Entities

People

  • F. J. Scheltens
  • F. Meisenkothen
  • M. D. Uchic
  • R. D. Kerns
  • Robert W. Wheeler

Organizations

  • Universal Energy Systems

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Crystal Lattices
  • Crystal Structure
  • Diffraction
  • Electron Beams
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Electrons
  • Intensity
  • Materials
  • Materials Science
  • Microscopes
  • Microscopy
  • Scanning Electron Microscopes
  • Scattering

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics