TES microcalorimeter SEM-EDS system for rare-earth elements analyses

• UEHARA Seiichiro

  Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University

• TAKAI Yasuhiro

  Present affiliation: Enecom Co., Ltd.

• SHIROSE Yohei

  Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University

• FUJII Yuki

  Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University

抄録

A field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) detector of a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter is a new system for electron-microprobe chemical analyses. FE-SEM with TES was used for qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of rare-earth elements (REE) at a low accelerating voltage of 5 kV. Four characteristic M-lines were detected in the LaB₆ spectrum: LaMζ at 640, LaMαβ at 841, LaMγ at 1021, and a weak line (M₂N₄ transition) at 1100 eV. The spectra of other rare-earth borides, rare-earth phosphates, and monazite were assigned in the same way as the La M-lines were. For quantitative analyses, we used a calibration curve method, using standard specimens of known chemical compositions. Linear calibration curves for plots of P, Ca, La, Ce, Pr, and Nd intensities versus each weight percentage were obtained. Semi-quantitative analyses of rare-earth minerals should be carried out at low accelerating voltages using a calibration curve method. In a TES-EDS system, a low accelerating voltage can be used to improve the spatial resolution, without the sensitivity disadvantages of low-energy X-ray emissions. Moreover, a strong increase in the Mαβ intensity with increasing atomic number Z was seen, so the detection limits of heavy REE was much lower than those of light REEs. These results suggest that the TES-EDS system could be a useful analytical tool in rare-earth mineralogy.

収録刊行物

• Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences

  Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences 107 (2), 105-109, 2012

  一般社団法人　日本鉱物科学会

キーワード

• Rare-earth element (REE)
• <i>M</i>-line
• Transition-edge sensor (TES)
• Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)
• Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM)

詳細情報

• CRID: 1390282681522280192
• NII論文ID: 10030122433
• NII書誌ID: AA11460926
• DOI: 10.2465/jmps.111020d
• BIBCODE: 2012JMPeS.107..105U
• COI: 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38XpvFCmsbo%3D
• ISSN: 13493825
• ISSN: 13456296
• 本文言語コード: en
• データソース種別:
  • JaLC
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• 抄録ライセンスフラグ: 使用不可