JP2004012440A - Aligner for total reflection local fluorescent x-ray analysis - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that application to local analysis is difficult because highly accurate setting is required to each element device. <P>SOLUTION: In total reflection fluorescent X-ray analysis, a collimator for specifying the incident position and angle of an X-ray and a superconducting spectral element are integrated and brought close to or into contact with a sample, to thereby remove necessity of each independent alignment for the sample, the spectral element and the incident X-ray when performing the total reflection local fluorescent X-ray measurement. An allowance can be made to some extent for setting the incident position and the incident angle of the X-ray itself to the integrated device by fine adjustment by a jogging optical system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
X-rays can excite inner-shell electrons close to atomic nuclei because of their high photon energy. When the excited electrons transition to the original shell, they emit X-rays of energy corresponding to the atomic number of the substance called fluorescent X-rays, but the energy level of the inner-shell electrons strongly depends on the atomic number. By measuring the energy distribution of fluorescent X-rays, it is possible to identify the elements constituting the substance. This X-ray fluorescence analysis is currently widely used as a standard non-destructive element analysis method.
[0002]
In performing this method, X-rays due to specular reflection from the sample contain much information on incident X-rays and become a noise source for fluorescent X-rays to be measured. A method is often used in which a detector is placed directly above a sample so as to be incident upon incidence and prevent specular reflection components of incident X-rays from entering.
[0003]
[Prior art]
X-ray fluorescence analysis using total reflection is widely used as a non-destructive element analysis method, but accurate alignment is necessary to make X-rays incident on a sample under total reflection conditions. Each device (X-ray source, optical element, sample, detector, spectrometer, etc.) required for X-ray fluorescence analysis is about several tens of centimeters in size even if it is small. In addition, it is necessary to finely adjust the alignment of each device, and a great effort is required for adjusting the optical path.
[0004]
Most of such total reflection type fluorescent X-ray analyzers are intended to perform fluorescent X-ray analysis of a certain range of a sample, and few are intended for local analysis. This is because the effective detection area of the conventional semiconductor detector is large, another optical system is required in front of the detector for local analysis, and the alignment of the total reflection condition is delicate, This is because, for example, it is difficult to scan with the X-rays incident on the target area only under the total reflection condition under the total reflection condition.
[0005]
That is, as far as the prior art is concerned, delicate alignment is required for the total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, and the system size cannot be avoided. In order to construct a system capable of local analysis, more delicate alignment was required, and it was difficult to say that it was technically simple.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis, it is conventionally difficult to apply this method to local analysis that requires even higher precision settings, since high precision settings are required for each element device. Was.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the present invention, a collimator for defining an incident position and an angle of an X-ray and a superconducting spectroscopic element are integrated. Superconducting spectroscopy has a high energy resolution that cannot be achieved with semiconductors, and the dimensions of the element itself are extremely small, several tens to several hundreds of micrometers, compared to semiconductor detectors. It is possible to do. When this is brought close to or in contact with the sample, the need for independent alignment of the sample, the spectroscopic element, and the incident X-ray is eliminated when performing total reflection local fluorescent X-ray measurement. Further, the fine adjustment by the fine movement optical system allows the setting of the incident position and the incident angle of the X-ray itself to the integrated device according to the present invention to have a certain width, thereby reducing the time and labor required for the alignment. In addition to this, local analysis by total reflection X-ray fluorescence measurement becomes possible only by moving the integrated device on the sample without moving the X-ray itself. Further, by finely adjusting the present aligner, it is possible to perform local analysis even on a sample having irregularities.
[0008]
【Example】
FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of an X-ray aligner according to the present invention. The aligner is composed of a movable curved mirror (3) and a measurement block (10), and the measurement block includes an input collimator (3), an output port (6), and a microspectroscopic element (5) (for example, a superconducting spectroscopic element). The movable curved mirror (3) is finely adjusted by a fine movement optical system (not shown).
[0009]
The input collimator (4) and the output port (6) contact the measurement block (10) with the sample to be measured (8), and when the X-ray passes through the incident collimator (4), the sample to be measured (8). ) Are arranged such that the condition for total reflection of X-rays is satisfied, and the reflected X-rays (7) exit through the exit (6). In order to measure the fluorescent X-rays (9) coming out of the apparatus, it is arranged immediately above the X-ray irradiation point. The diameter of the incident collimator (4) is set to a sufficiently small size to enable local analysis.
[0010]
The movable curved mirror (3) is an elastically deformable mirror, and is used to allow X-rays to pass through an incident collimator (4) having a small diameter and to precisely align the X-rays themselves. The curvature is arbitrarily controlled, and X-rays are introduced into the incident collimator. The curvature of the mirror can be controlled by using a piezo element. Thereby, the alignment of the X-rays introduced into the aligner of the present invention can have a certain width. In addition, the X-ray itself can be scanned by total reflection local fluorescent X-ray measurement only by moving the present aligner on the sample without moving it. In addition, by performing fine adjustment using the fine movement optical system, local analysis can be performed even on a sample having irregularities.
[0011]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, a total reflection local fluorescent X-ray analysis, which conventionally required a large-sized apparatus and in which delicate alignment was indispensable, can be realized by a small and simple system. Fine alignment becomes unnecessary, and total reflection local X-ray fluorescence analysis can be performed even on a sample having irregularities, which has been difficult in the conventional apparatus. In addition, the miniaturization allows the sample to be closer to the X-ray source, so that the required output power of the X-ray source can be reduced, and an analyzer that is excellent in safety and energy saving is developed. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an aligner for X-ray analysis according to the present invention.
1 incident X-ray 2 incident X-ray (reflected by movable curved mirror)
3 movable curved mirror 4 incident collimator 5 minute optical element 6 exit port 7 reflected X-ray 8 sample under test 9 fluorescent X-ray 10 measurement block

Claims (3)

In the aligner for total reflection local X-ray fluorescence analysis, the aligner is configured by a measurement block and a variable bending mirror, and the measurement block is configured by an X-ray incident collimator and an exit that are integrated with a spectroscopic element. The optical path of incident X-rays and outgoing X-rays are defined by approaching or contacting the measurement sample surface, satisfying the condition of total reflection on the sample, and the above-mentioned variable bending mirror is provided in front of the incident collimator. An aligner for fluorescent X-ray analysis, characterized by finely adjusting the deviation of the setting. 2. The aligner for fluorescent X-ray analysis according to claim 1, wherein the spectroscopic element is a superconducting spectroscopic element. The aligner for fluorescent X-ray analysis according to claim 1, wherein the bending in the variable bending mirror is driven by a piezo element.

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