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A model for low‐energy thick‐target bremsstrahlung produced in a scanning electron microscope
Author(s) -
Semaan Mars,
Quarles C. A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.465
Subject(s) - bremsstrahlung , physics , electron , atomic physics , scanning electron microscope , scattering , detector , attenuation , electron scattering , cross section (physics) , optics , nuclear physics , computational physics , quantum mechanics
Thick‐target bremsstrahlung measurements were obtained for various atomic numbers and for energies between 10 and 25 keV. A Jeol JSM 6100 scanning electron microscope was used for the electron beam and a Oxford Instruments Link Si(Li) detector for the bremsstrahlung spectrum. The experimental data were compared with a model that computes the thick‐target bremsstrahlung spectrum by integrating the tabulated relativistic partial‐wave doubly differential cross‐section for thin‐target bremsstrahlung over the target taking electron energy loss into account in the continuous slowing down approximation. The model corrects for electron backscattering, x‐ray attenuation in the target and the efficiency of the x‐ray detector. Very good agreement was found between the model and the experimental results. Extension of the model to consider multiple scattering in the target is also discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.