Quantitative X-ray mapping, scatter diagrams and the generation of correction maps to obtain more information about your material

Quantitative X-ray mapping with silicon drift detectors and multi-EDS detector systems have become an invaluable analysis technique and one of the most useful methods of X-ray microanalysis today. The time to perform an X-ray map has reduced considerably with the ability to map minor and trace elements very accurately due to the larger detector area and higher count rate detectors. Live X-ray imaging can now be performed with a significant amount of data collected in a matter of minutes. A great deal of information can be obtained from X-ray maps. This includes; elemental relationship or scatter diagram creation, elemental ratio mapping, chemical phase mapping (CPM), and quantitative X-ray maps. In obtaining quantitative X-ray maps, we are able to easily generate atomic number (Z), absorption (A), fluorescence (F), theoretical back scatter coefficient ( _ ), and a quantitative total maps from each pixel in the image. This allows us to generate an image corresponding to each factor (for each element present). These images allow the user to predict and verify where they are likely to have problems in our images, and are especially helpful to look at possible interface artefacts. The post processing techniques to improve the quantitation of X-ray map data and the development of post processing techniques for improved characterisation are covered in this paper