Quantitative Electron Microprobe Analysis Of Semiconductor Materials: An Evaluation Of Accuracy

Abstract

Both precision and accuracy are central to quantitative microanalysis. While precision may be evaluated from x-ray counting statistics and replicate measurement, the determination of analytical accuracy requires well characterized standards of which there are few that span a wide range of compositions in binary and ternary systems. The accuracy of silicate mineral analysis has been previously studied via measurement of α factors at multiple accelerating potential and the subsequent evaluation of correction algorithms and mass absorption coefficient (mac) data sets. This approach has been extended in this study to the In2O3-Ga2O3and HgTe-CdTe systems.Single crystals of ln2O3, Ga2O3, and an InGa-oxide of unknown composition were used to evaluate accuracy in the In2O3-Ga2O3binary, using the GaKα, GaLα, and InLα x-ray lines, with WDS measurements performed at 15, 20, and 25KV relative to the ln2O3and Ga2O3standards (see Table I). The Ga Kα line exhibits minimal absorption, has no fluorescence correction in this system and is not critically dependent on the correction algorithm or mac data set used.