Quantitative electron probe microanalysis : a new application : thin film analysis

After a brief introduction into the general capabilities of Electron Probe Microanalysis and the role it can play in materials science, one of the newest developments in this technique is discussed: the possibility to perform quantitative analysis in thin films (thickness and composition simultaneously) and to perform in-depth analysis. The performance of the approach is discussed using a wide range of practical applications ranging from simple one-film cases up to complex multilayer structures and it is demonstrated that surprising results can be obtained with relatively cheap and wide-spread instruments in an elegant and non-destructive fashion.