Robert Downing

US Patent:

58804676, Mar 9, 1999

Filed:

Mar 5, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/811939

Inventors:

John Matthew Martinis - Boulder CO
Gene Charles Hilton - Boulder CO
Kent David Irwin - Lyons CO
David Anders Wollman - Louisville CO
Robert Gregory Downing - Niskayuna NY
Walter Maxwell Gibson - Voorheesville NY

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce - Washington DC

International Classification:

G02B 5124

US Classification:

250310

Abstract:

Spectroscopic materials analysis wherein a sample under test is bombarded by electrons in a scanning electron microscope to produce an x-ray emission collected over a large solid angle by a polycapillary lens and focused onto the surface of a microcalorimeter detector. The x-ray lens is used to increase the effective collection area of the microcalorimeter detector used in an x-ray spectrometer. By increasing the collection angle, the time period for x-ray collection is reduced and the detector can be located farther from the x-ray source. The x-ray lens is effective over a broad energy range of x-rays, thus providing compatibility with spectroscopic analysis. The microcalorimeter can be calibrated to compensate for any variations in the transmission efficiency of the x-ray lens.