The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 12, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 17, 1999
Jon J. McCarthy, Middleton, WI (US);
David J. McMillan, Middleton, WI (US);
Thermo Noran Inc., Middleton, WI (US);
Abstract
An x-ray optic is employed in combination with an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detector to enhance detection performance. Such a combined optic and detector may be employed in scanning electron microscope or environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) applications. The x-ray optic may be a grazing incidence optic (GIO) employed as a flux enhancing collimator for use with an EDS detector, used to perform electron beam microanalysis. It is found that the GIO in combination with an EDS provides substantial intensity gain for x-ray lines with energy below 1 keV. The GIO is also found to provide a modest focus effect, i.e., by limiting the field of view of the detector, and introduces minimal spectral effects. The combined optic and detector is useful in applications employing broad beam excitation, such as an ESEM or a system using x-ray fluorescence, to spatially limit the x-rays of interest to those within the acceptance angle of the optic.