Patent · US Expired

Microcalorimeter x-ray detectors with x-ray lens

US5880467A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
12References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 5, 1997
Grant dateMar 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 5, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2561
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Spectroscopic materials analysis wherein a sample under test is bombarded by electrons in a scanning electron microscope to produce an x-ray emission collected over a large solid angle by a polycapillary lens and focused onto the surface of a microcalorimeter detector. The x-ray lens is used to increase the effective collection area of the microcalorimeter detector used in an x-ray spectrometer. By increasing the collection angle, the time period for x-ray collection is reduced and the detector can be located farther from the x-ray source. The x-ray lens is effective over a broad energy range of x-rays, thus providing compatibility with spectroscopic analysis. The microcalorimeter can be calibrated to compensate for any variations in the transmission efficiency of the x-ray lens.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.