Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX/EDS)

Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) is an analytical technique which provides surface elemental analysis and is available on our Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), Focused Ion beam /SEM(Hercules Facility) and our transmission electron microscope TEM. 

When an electron beam interacts with a specimen characteristic X-rays are produced. The energy and number of the X-rays emitted can be measured using an EDS detector.

Within AMC all the EDS detectors are silicon drift detectors and therefore can achieve a high count rate, which reduces the acquisition time. It also provides the ability to reduce the beam current which will reduce the interaction volume produced by the electron beam and provide better resolution for the lighter elements such as Carbon and Boron.

EDS compositional map of Isle of Rum peridotite and Mars Analogue