Thanks to its high brightness Field Emission source, the CAMECA SXFiveFE electron column offers experimental conditions that combine low accelerating voltages with intense beam currents. Under such optimized conditions, the interaction volume between the electrons and the specimen is reduced, and high spatial resolution can be achieved.
In this interdiffusion study during the heat release between a nickel-based braze and a substrate of nickel-based superalloy, a very low accelerating voltage (5keV) was used.
The X-ray maps acquired on Ni, Mo and B (below) illustrate the SXFiveFE's unique ability to combine low beam voltage for spatial resolution optimization with high sensitivity crystals for X-ray detection optimization.
Under such optimized conditions, the B Ka map on the left shows very clear details in the range of 300nm lateral resolution. Achieving such resolution on light elements is a significant challenge.
Sample courtesy of C. Pascal, R.M. Marin-Ayral, J.C. Tédenac, C. Merlet. Material Science and Engineering A. Vol. 341, Issues 1-2, p. 144-151