Quantitative EPMA analysis - Monte Carlo simulation usage in its analysis with high accuracy -
2013 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 111-123
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2013 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 111-123
A ZAF method has been established as a useful quantitative analysis technique for bulk specimens by EPMA. Accurate quantification can be performed when analyzed particle sizes are greater than an x-ray generation region. In measurements of light elements such as oxygen, fluorine, carbon, boron and nitrogen, it is, however, hard to obtain satisfactory results, comparing with heavy elements analyses. In this study, we have compared quantitative accuracies of the results by ZAF methods with that by Monte Carlo method. The general formula of the ionization distribution function derived by the MC method was compared with the several ZAF methods.
We found that the x-ray intensities of O, S, Ga, Co and Ni calculated from the proposing general formula are almost equivalent to those obtained by MC method. It is also found that the MC method gives more accurate results than the ZAF methods in the accelerating voltage range of 5 - 25 kV. But, for fluorine the quantitative accuracy obtained by our method is lower than that by MC method.
