A Combined Fundamental Alphas/Curve Fitting Algorithm for Routine XRF Sample Analysis

Abstract

AbstractAnalysis of sample composition and/or thickness in a routine, process-control or monitoring environment generally requires rapid turn-around time with minimal sample handling. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) is well-suited for these kinds of analyses and has been applied to various bulk and thin sample applications (1-7). This technique is rapid, precise, non-destructive, and requires minimal sample handling.X-ray Fluorescence is generally considered a secondary analysis technique, that is, instrumentation must be calibrated using known standards before unknown samples may be analyzed (quantitative analysis). Continuing work on standardless approaches, particularly for Energy-Dispersive XRF (EOXRF) systems, relax this requirement for some samples but the large share of XRF analyses still require calibration with standards. A number of mathematical and non-matheraatical techniques have been devised to calibrate XRF measurements for many different sample types (1,2,8,9).