An X-ray analyzer includes an X-ray source, a straight tube type multi-capillary, a flat plate spectroscopic crystal, a parallel/point focus type multi-capillary X-ray lens, and a Fresnel zone plate. A qualitative analysis is performed over an area on the sample, the flat plate spectroscopic crystal and the Fresnel zone plate are removed from the X-ray optical path, and X-rays are collected by the multi-capillary lens and the sample is irradiated. When analyzing the chemical morphology of an element, the multi-capillary lens retracts from the optical path, the source rotates, and the flat plate spectroscopic crystal and the Fresnel zone plate are inserted on the optical path. A narrow sample area is irradiated by the Fresnel zone plate with X-rays having energy extracted from the flat plate spectroscopic crystal. This makes it possible to carry out accurate qualitative analysis on the sample and perform detailed analysis of more minute parts.

Systems and methods for rapid measurement of the chemical and structural properties of plastic articles are provided. The systems and methods involve measuring both mechanical deformation of the plastic article and x-ray fluorescence of the plastic article in order to determine changes in composition as a result of contamination and/or issues associated with plastic article manufacturing lines. The systems and methods can be performed in minutes, compared to hours or days for typical testing methods.

A method for improving the quality/integrity of an EBSD/TKD map, wherein each data point is assigned to a corresponding grid point of a sample grid and represents crystal information based on a Kikuchi pattern detected for the grid point; comprising determining a defective data point of the EBSD/TKD map and a plurality of non-defective neighboring data points, comparing the position of Kikuchi bands of a Kikuchi pattern detected for a grid point corresponding to the defective data point with the positions of bands in at least one simulated Kikuchi pattern corresponding to crystal information of the neighboring data points and assigning the defective data point the crystal information of one of the plurality of neighboring data point based on the comparison.

A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system for focusing an electron beam. The method may include focusing the electron beam on at least one evaluated area of a wafer, based on a height parameter of each one of the at least one evaluated area. The wafer includes a transparent substrate. The height parameter of each one of the at least one evaluated area is determined based on detection signals generated as a result of an illumination of one or more height-measured areas of the wafer with a beam of photons. The illumination occurs while one or more supported areas of the wafer contact one or more supporting elements of a chuck, and while each one of the one or more height-measured areas are spaced apart from the chuck by a distance that exceeds a depth of field of the optics related to the beam of photons.

An analyzing apparatus includes an X-ray measurement device, an optical characteristic measurement device, and a calculation unit. The X-ray measurement device may be configured to measure fluorescent X-rays generated from the measurement object. The optical characteristic measurement device may be configured to obtain optical characteristics other than the fluorescent X-rays of one or more carbon compounds contained in the measurement object. The calculation unit may be configured to calculate information about a quantity of the one or more carbon compounds contained in the measurement object on the basis of the optical characteristics of the carbon compound(s), and correct the information about fluorescent X-rays measured by the X-ray measurement device on the basis of the information about the quantity of the carbon compound(s).

A system and method for analyzing a three-dimensional structure of a sample includes generating a first x-ray beam having a first energy bandwidth less than 20 eV at full-width-at-half maximum and a first mean x-ray energy that is in a range of 1 eV to 1 keV higher than an absorption edge energy of a first atomic element of interest, and that is collimated to have a collimation angular range less than 7 mrad in at least one direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the first x-ray beam; irradiating the sample with the first x-ray beam at a plurality of incidence angles relative to a substantially flat surface of the sample, the incidence angles of the plurality of incidence angles in a range of 3 mrad to 400 mrad; and simultaneously detecting a reflected portion of the first x-ray beam from the sample and detecting x-ray fluorescence x-rays and/or photoelectrons from the sample.

The present invention refers to a method for improving a Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction, TKD pattern, wherein the method comprises the steps of: Detecting a TKD pattern (20b) of a sample (12) in an electron microscope (60) comprising at least one active electron lens (61) focusing an electron beam (80) in z-direction on a sample (12) positioned in distance D below the electron lens (61), the detected TKD (20b) pattern comprising a plurality of image points x.sub.D, y.sub.D and mapping each of the detected image points x.sub.D, y.sub.D to an image point of an improved TKD pattern (20a) with the coordinates x.sub.0, y.sub.0 by using and inverting generalized terms of the form x.sub.D=γ*A+(1−γ)*B and y.sub.D=γ*C+(1−γ)*D wherein $\gamma =\frac{Z}{D}$
with Z being an extension in the z-direction of a cylindrically symmetric magnetic field B.sub.Z of the electron lens (61), and wherein A, B, C, D are trigonometric expressions depending on the coordinates x.sub.0, y.sub.0, with B and D defining a rotation around a symmetry axis of the magnetic field B.sub.Z, and with A and C defining a combined rotation and contraction operation with respect to the symmetry axis of the magnetic field B.sub.Z. The invention further relates to a measurement system, computer program and computer-readable medium for carrying out the method of the invention.

Various methods and systems are provided for analyzing sample inclusions. As one example, a correction factor may be generated based on inclusion properties of a first sample determined using both an optical emission spectrometry (OES) system and a charged-particle microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (CPM/EDX) system. The OES system may be calibrated with the correction factor. The inclusion properties of a second, different, sample may be determined using the calibrated OES system.

An apparatus (100) for analysing a sample (101) comprising a drill core sample or drill cuttings is provided. The apparatus comprises an X-ray geological structure data unit configured to scan the sample to obtain a data set indicating a volume of the sample, a fluorescence detector (109) configured to measure fluorescent radiation emanating from the sample (101) when irradiated by the X-ray beam, and a weighing unit (105) configured to weigh the sample. The apparatus further comprises a processing unit (104) configured to calculate a density of the sample (101) based on the data set obtained by the X-ray geological structure data unit, the fluorescent radiation measured by the fluorescence detectors, and the weight provided by the weighing unit.

A method and apparatus for rapid measurement and analysis of structure and composition of poly-crystal materials by X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy, which uses a two-dimensional energy dispersive area detector having an array of pixels, and a white spectrum X-ray beam source. A related data processing method includes separating X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy signals in the energy dispersive X-ray spectrum detected by each pixel of the two-dimensional energy dispersive detector; correcting the detected X-ray diffraction signals by a correction function; summing the corrected X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray spectroscopy signals, respectively, over all pixels to obtain an enhanced diffraction spectrum and an enhanced spectroscopy spectrum; using the enhanced diffraction and spectroscopy spectrum respectively to determine the structure and composition of the sample. The summing step includes using Bragg's equation to convert the intensity-energy diffraction spectrum for each pixel into an intensity-lattice spacing spectrum before summing them.