Trace element detection
The Super-X Detection System features 4 SDDs for substantially enhanced sensitivity, which is critical for trace element detection. The example to the right highlights the sensitivity limits of ChemiSTEM Technology for a NIST-certified steel standard (Standard Reference Material NBS No. 461). In bulk, this low-alloy steel has certified concentrations of the following elements: arsenic (0.028 wt.%), vanadium (0.024 wt.%), and tin (0.022 wt.%). The full spectrum was acquired in 600 seconds, using a beam current of 1.7 nA, while scanning a micron-sized area to average the composition across the microstructure of the sample.
This example demonstrates that trace elements detection with low concentrations (as low as ~0.02 wt.%) is possible in a reasonable 10-minute total acquisition time.