Progress in laboratory grazing emission X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Recently, grazing emission x-ray fluorescence (GEXRF) spectrometry, also re ferred to as grazing exit spectrometry, attained a special position in the field of XRF, The technique exploits the advantages of the total-reflection phenomenon as is done in the related total-reflection XRF technique. The p rospects of grazing emission techniques stimulated researchers to explore t his field more in detail. This paper describes recent developments in labor atory GEXRF spectrometry together with the applications already performed. The focus is on the progress of a GEXRF spectrometer at normal incidence fo r the analysis of light elements by using a wavelength-dispersive detector. With a prototype GEXRF instrument, it is demonstrated that good limits of detection, at the high 10(10) at cm(-2) for level wafer analysis and sub-na nogram level for trace analysis of environmental samples, can be achieved. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.