ADVANCED X-RAY-DETECTORS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF MATERIALS

A crucial need exists to analyze the composition of materials nondestr uctively. Energy-dispersive spectrometers are widely used to perform t his function, but their performance is limited by the energy resolutio n of the detector, typically 150 eV for Si(Li) at 6 keV. Calorimeters and tunnel junctions offer more than an order of magnitude improvement in energy resolution, with the prospect of vast improvements in perfo rmance for quantitative analysis. We present an analysis of the critic al issues pertaining to the use of calorimeters for quantitative mater ials analysis, and show that significant performance advantages may be realized with the energy resolutions already achieved. We also descri be other x-ray analysis methods for determining the chemical state of the material to be studied, which also may benefit from calorimeter te chnology.