Improved quantitative electron probe X‐ray microanalysis of biological cryosections using an EDS germanium detector and a super‐atmosphere thin window (SuperATW)

A new Link energy‐dispersive GEM detector with SuperATW window was tested for quantitative electron probe microanalysis of low calcium and sodium concentrations ([Ca], [Na]) in intracellular compartments of cardiac myocytes. We compare Ca profiles with high count statistics and similar peak area collected under the same conditions with either a Be‐windowed Si and a Ge SuperATW detector. The height of the Ca peak was increased by 7%, the full width at half‐maximum height was reduced by 9% with the Ge detector. The counts statistics of the Ca Kα peak improved by 9% and the partial overlap with the K Kβ peak was better deconvoluted. We calculate [Ca] and errors of the single measurement in mitochondria of guinea‐pig cardiac myocytes from spectra acquired with a Si or Ge detector. For identical analysis conditions, the [Ca] were identical; however, with the Ge SuperATW detector, the calculated error of the single measurement was only 1/2.7 of that calculated from measurements with the Si detector. We compare the peak area of identical [Na] in spectra collected with the Be‐windowed Si detector and Ge SuperATW detector. The peak area was significantly higher with the SuperATW Ge than with the Si detector and Be window, whereas the continuum in the range 4–10 keV was comparable, demonstrating the improved sensitivity for low atomic elements such as Na of the Ge SuperATW detector. [Na] and errors of the single measurement in mitochondria of quiescent guinea‐pig cardiac myocytes were calculated from spectra acquired with the Si or the Ge detector. The use of the Ge SuperATW detector improved the detectability limit for sodium by more than 80% and reduced the error of the single measurement by a factor of 7–8.