Suspended germanium provides a unique calibration standard for x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. Since Ge is not typically found in TEM columns, the calibration samples provide a material that cannot be mistaken for instrument components and their signal peaks. The regime in which system peaks normally occur (2 to 9 keV and 11 to 20 keV) is devoid of peaks from the Ge.
- 20 nm thick germanium (Ge) coating on microporous 20 nm thick, low-stress silicon nitride (SiN)
- 2 µm pores on 1:1 pitch grid pattern
- 100 µm thick frame, fits 3 mm sample holders
- (1) 500×500 µm window
The Ge is suspended across 2 µm pores that are patterned on a grid of 20 nm thick silicon nitride.
The single 500×500 µm window is compatible with high tilt angle tomography, since at 70° of tilt, the thin and beveled 100 µm silicon frame allows you to use a ~50×50 µm region within the center of the window from any rotational orientation.
These EDX calibration standards were developed in partnership with Dr. Nestor J. Zaluzec from the Electron Microscopy Center and the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory.
Applications in detector energy axis and energy resolution calibration, detector window transmission evaluation, detector solid angle measurements, electron optical instrument system peak measurements, and specimen.
