John Fournelle

Observed photon count rates must be corrected for detector dead time effects for accurate quantification, especially at high count rates. We present the “constant k-ratio” method, a new approach for calibrating dead time for wavelength dispersive spectrometers by measuring k-ratios as a function of beam current. The method is based on the observation that for a given emission line at a specific take-off angle and electron beam energy, the intensity ratio from two materials containing the element should remain constant as a function of beam current, if the dead time calibration is accurate. The method has the advantage that it does not rely on the linearity of the beam current picoammeter, yet also allows the analyst to evaluate the picoammeter linearity, another critical parameter in EPMA calibration. By simultaneously comparing k-ratios for all spectrometers, one can also ascertain k-ratio consensus, essential for inter-laboratory comparisons. We also introduce improved dead time expressions and provide best practices on how to perform these instrument calibrations using this new “constant k-ratio” method. These improvements enable quantitative analysis of major and minor elements with high accuracy at high beam currents, simultaneously with trace elements with high sensitivity, for point analyses and X-ray mapping.