Please note:  wafer level TXRF measurements are no longer available, details on TXRF Home Page.

Many mechanisms in the TXRF process can increase the background and lead to poorer detection limits, as shown in the spectrum below.  The two types of scattering seen with our setup are elastic (or Rayleigh scattering) and inelastic (or Compton scattering).  Elastic scattering occurs when photons interact in a wave like manner with firmly bound inner core electrons, that results in a change of direction but a conservation of energy.  Compton scattering occurs when photons interact in a particle like manner with loosely bound electrons, and therefore a loss of energy and a change in direction simultaneously occur.  Finally, as seen in the spectrum below, an escape peak resulting from silicon fluorescence x-rays escaping the p-i-n detector can also contribute to the background.

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Last modified: January 26, 2007