Provided is an X-ray analysis device and an X-ray analysis method capable of easily analyzing a valence of a target element in a sample. A controller 22 of a signal processing device of the X-ray analysis device is provided with: a storage unit 360 for storing a calibration curve generated based on a peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and a peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray emitted from a metal simple substance, a peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and a peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray emitted from each of two or more types of compounds each containing the metal simple substance, and a valence of the metal in each of the two or more types of compounds; a processing unit 302 configured to acquire a peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and a peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray of the metal emitted from the metal contained in an unknown sample; and a calculation unit 308 configured to calculate a mean valence of the metal contained in the unknown sample by applying the obtained peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray to the calibration curve.

Provided is an X-ray analysis device and an X-ray analysis method capable of easily analyzing a valence of a target element in a sample. A controller 22 of a signal processing device of the X-ray analysis device is provided with: a storage unit 360 for storing a calibration curve generated based on a peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and a peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray emitted from a metal simple substance, a peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and a peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray emitted from each of two or more types of compounds each containing the metal simple substance, and a valence of the metal in each of the two or more types of compounds; a processing unit 302 configured to acquire a peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and a peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray of the metal emitted from the metal contained in an unknown sample; and a calculation unit 308 configured to calculate a mean valence of the metal contained in the unknown sample by applying the obtained peak energy of Kα.sub.1 X-ray and peak energy of Kα.sub.2 X-ray to the calibration curve.

In a preliminary measurement, spectrums obtained by detecting characteristic X-rays emitted from preliminary measurement points are transmitted to a spectrum processing unit via a noise filter unit. In a main measurement, a spectrum obtained by detecting characteristic X-rays emitted from a main measurement point is transmitted to the spectrum processing unit by bypassing the noise filter unit. The noise filter unit includes a machine learning type filter constituted of a CNN or the like. In a learning process, teacher data are generated using artificially-generated noise.

The invention relates to a method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope, comprising the steps of providing a charged particle beam, as well as a sample, and scanning said charged particle beam over at least part of said sample. A first detector is used for obtaining measured detector signals corresponding to emissions of a first type from the sample at a plurality of sample positions. According to the method, a set of data class elements is provided, wherein each data class element relates an expected detector signal to a corresponding sample information value. The measured detector signals are processed, and processing comprises comparing said measured detector signals to said set of data class elements; determining at least one probability that said measured detector signals belong to a certain one of said set of data class elements; and assigning at least one sample information value and said at least one probability to each of the plurality of sample positions. Finally, sample information values and corresponding probability can be represented in data.

The invention relates to a method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope, comprising the steps of providing a charged particle beam, as well as a sample, and scanning said charged particle beam over at least part of said sample. A first detector is used for obtaining measured detector signals corresponding to emissions of a first type from the sample at a plurality of sample positions. According to the method, a set of data class elements is provided, wherein each data class element relates an expected detector signal to a corresponding sample information value. The measured detector signals are processed, and processing comprises comparing said measured detector signals to said set of data class elements; determining at least one probability that said measured detector signals belong to a certain one of said set of data class elements; and assigning at least one sample information value and said at least one probability to each of the plurality of sample positions. Finally, sample information values and corresponding probability can be represented in data.

Characteristic X-rays (soft X-rays) from a sample are detected using a spectroscope to thereby generate a plurality of intensity spectrums arranged in order of time sequence. A contour map creation unit creates a contour map by converting, in accordance with a color conversion condition, the plurality of intensity spectrums into a plurality of one-dimensional maps, and arranging the plurality of one-dimensional maps in order of time sequence. When displaying the contour map, a waveform array and a difference contour map may also be displayed. Based on the contour map, a timepoint at which a state change occurs in the sample is determined.

Spectrums are measured by irradiating an electron beam on a sample while varying an accelerating potential and by detecting X-rays emitted from the sample. A normalizer unit normalizes the spectrums and thereby calculates normalized spectrums. A difference calculator unit calculates difference spectrums based on the normalized spectrums. A search unit performs a search in a database for each comparison difference spectrum, and identifies compounds contained in the sample.

A method for producing a layer structure for the production of thin-film solar cells including: providing a carrier substrate, depositing a rear electrode layer on the carrier substrate, producing a rear-electrode-layer-free region, creating a measurement layer over the rear electrode layer such that the measurement layer is situated at least over the rear-electrode-layer-free region, wherein the measurement layer is a photoactive absorber layer or a precursor layer of the photoactive absorber layer, and determining a quantity or a relative share of a component of the measurement layer in a region of the measurement layer that is situated over the rear-electrode-layer-free region of the rear electrode layer.

By regarding total precision of an X-ray intensity as counting precision due to statistical fluctuation and counting loss and by regarding the counting precision as a product of precision of an uncorrected intensity, which is an intensity before counting loss correction is performed, and a gradient of a corrected intensity with respect to the uncorrected intensity, a counting time calculation unit (13) included in an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer of the present invention calculates a counting time from specified total precision of the X-ray intensity, a given counting loss correction coefficient, and a given corrected intensity for each measurement line (5).

The present invention provides an X-ray analysis device and a peak search method capable of realizing highly accurate peak searches without significantly increasing a processing time. Peak search processing includes: a step (S220) for acquiring a profile of a spectrum; a step (S240) for narrowing down a wavelength range where a true value of a peak wavelength (peak intensity) may be present, taking into account statistical fluctuation of a measured value; a step (S250) for measuring the intensity of the X-rays at the long wavelength end, the short wavelength end, and the intermediate wavelength in the narrowed wavelength range; a step (S255) for calculating a quadratic function passing through the respective measured values in the above-described three wavelengths; and a step (S260) for calculating the wavelength of the vertex of the calculated quadratic function as the peak wavelength.