Apparatus for simultaneous X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence measurements

• US 5,745,543 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panalytical B.V. (Spectris PLC)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Vrebos, Bruno A. R., De Bokx, Pieter K., Van Der Sluis, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Church, Craig E.
• Application Number:
  US08/722,649
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 378/45-49, 378/83
• US Class Current: 378/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/076 X-ray fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2076 for spectrometry, i.e. using an analysing crystal, e.g. for measuring X-ray fluorescence spectrum of a sample with wavelength-dispersion, i.e. WDXFS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/223 by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence

Abstract

In the case of simultaneous diffraction and fluorescence measurements in an apparatus for X-ray analysis comprising only one X-ray tube, a problem is encountered in that due to the presence of the collimators required for the fluorescence measurements only a very low X-ray power reaches the detectors, so that very long measuring times and/or an unfavorable signal-to-noise ratio occur. As a result, the detection limit for given measurements (low concentration of an element and/or light elements to be detected) becomes too high or the use of a (large and expensive) high-power X-ray tube is required. The invention utilizes a line focus tube 10 in combination with a single-slit collimator 14 for irradiating the sample 2, the fluorescence section 40 being constructed so as to have a plane or cylindrical analysis crystal 42 in combination with a location-sensitive detector 44. The diffraction measurements are performed by means of a conventional diffraction arrangement 24.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the examination of materials by simultaneous X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence, comprising:

a sample location (4) for accommodating a sample (2) of the material to be examined,

an X-ray source (10) for irradiating the sample holder (4) by means of polychromatic X-rays (6,

     18),

a collimator (14) which is arranged to transmit at least one X-ray beam of line-shaped cross-section and is positioned between the X-ray source (10) and the sample holder (4),

a diffraction unit (24) which comprises a detection device (26) for the detection of X-rays (28) diffracted by the sample (2) of the material to be examined, and

a fluorescence unit (40) which comprises a detection device with an analysis crystal (42) for the detection of fluorescent radiation (46) generated in the sample (2) of the material to be examined,

characterized in that

the X-ray source (10) is arranged to produce a line-shaped X-ray focus (20),

the collimator (14) comprises only one aperture (16) which extends parallel to the line-shaped X-ray focus (20), and

the detection device of the fluorescence unit (40) comprises a location-sensitive detection array (44) for the detection of X-rays (48) reflected by the analysis crystal (42).

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the analysis crystal (42) of the detection device of the fluorescence unit (40) is constructed so as to have a plane surface.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the analysis crystal (42) of the detection device of the fluorescence unit (40) is constructed so as to have a cylindrical surface.