A routine correction for electron beam intensity variation during quantitative EDS microanalysis using continuum radiation

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Abstract
A detailed investigation of the relationship between the mean atomic number and the intensity of high energy continuum radiation has verified earlier studies in defining a linear relationship. Corrections for matrix effects on the continuum intensity are found to be unnecessary within the precision limits of the data. Incorporation of this relationship into a quantitative energy‐dispersive spectrometer (EDS) microanalysis program allows internal correction for electron beam intensity variations between standard and unknown specimen analysis. It therefore allows quantitative analysis without normalisation on systems lacking any form of electron beam current measurement. Within limits, the need for reproducibility of electron beam intensity and counting time is eliminated.