EDX - Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis
When an electron beam strikes the surface of a sample, X-rays are emitted. The energy of the X-rays depends on the elemental composition of the material under examination. Thus, an X-ray spectrum can be acquired giving information on the elemental composition of the material. By scanning the sample with the electron beam a line scan or an elemental map can be acquired.
The example shows an EDX-linescan of a sample with silicate particles embedded in a OsO4 stained block copolymer. The line scan follows the red line shown in the image below, from top to bottom.
For more details see:
Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy of Nanostructured Polymer Nanocomposites.
R. Thomann and RJ. Spontak in:
Science, Technology and Education of Microscopy: An Overview
(Ed.: A.Mendez-Villas), Formatex, Badajoz, Spain, 2003, pp. 249-254
