Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis

This lecture introduces Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis (EDX), a technique for elemental analysis based on X-ray spectroscopy. It explains how X-rays are emitted from a specimen when hit by charged particles, and how the energy and number of emitted X-rays reveal the elemental composition. The lecture covers X-ray generation, core shell ionization, forbidden transitions, X-ray efficiency, and X-ray production yield. It also discusses the detection of X-rays using detectors like Si(Li) and SDD, as well as the quantification and mapping of elements using EDX. The lecture concludes with details on EDX systems, processing methods, and Monte-Carlo simulations.