The log window is used to store data and operations that occur during an analysis. The entire analysis can be saved to an ASCII disk file also.
Global Qualitative Wavelength Scans can be used to scan the WD spectrometers from upper to lower limits. Trace element identification can be performed. Single element wavescans can also be done. KLM markers can be stepped up or down during the peak identification process.
Probe for Windows-E is divided into four basic operations:
- Acquire!
- Analyze!
- Automate!
- Plot!
The Acquire! Window displays motor positions, count times, and scaler counts. Element assignments, count times, crystals, and spectrometers are defined here. Control of wavelength scans, digital rate meter, peak seeking, PHA parameters, and on-demand acquisitions are performed here.
Periodic Table showing PET elements, lines, wavelength, and energy
The optional integrated imaging (Requires Olympus Soft Imaging System) permits the user to acquire electron images while using Probe for Windows-E. Analytical points and lines can be defined from the electron images. The cross-hair is used to direct the beam and stage to the points of analysis. An image can be automatically acquired for every point if so desired.
The Analyze! Window allows the reduction of raw count rates into weight percents, choose calculation options, define bad data points, assign standards to elements, choose peak overlap corrections and other features.
The Automate! Window is used to specify sequences for unattended analysis. Choose standards and unknowns from Position List window, check the Acquire Standard Samples and Acquire Unknown Samples boxes, and then click the Run Selected Sample button.
The Plot! window expedites the conversion of raw data into 2-D and 3-D plots using the integrated plotting feature. To plot a wavelength scan, choose a spectrometer in the X-Axis window, an element in the Y-axis window, and then click the OUTPUT button.
Once plotted, the graph can be enhanced with K, L, M, N, or any x-ray line in the NIST x-ray table. Upper and lower background acquisition points can be set here.
Full-Width-Half-Max resolution measurements can be made directly from the Wave scan Acquisition window. Point to the right side of the peak and record the number in the KeV window. Repeat for the left side and subtract. In this case, a resolution of 1.4 eV was observed.
Tri-ZAF Quant Engine
ZAF, Phi-Rho-Z, and Characteristic Fluorescence Options
During an installation, pictures are taken of typical sample configurations. Probe for Windows – E can then render interactive stage maps so that users can quickly navigate to any area on the sample block. By clicking on the Unknown button, recent unknown analytical points can be displayed as shown in green. Recent standards and wavescans can also bedisplayed. The red circle represents the present position of the electron beam. Double-click anywhere on the image to move to that position. All the common sample holders can be stored and accessed through the Holder Selection pull-down menu. The exact positions of all standards, unknowns, and wave scans can be stored into the positional database.
Before starting an analysis, peak overlaps, and high/low background overlaps can be predicted from within this window. Type in the elemental symbols with hypothetical concentrations, and then click the Calculate button.
In this case, there will be a significant Cu-KB1 peak near the zinc low-background position.
Standard concentrations and positions can be stored directly from Probe for Windows-E. Double-click a standard in the list to inspect its concentrations. Search capabilities are provided using either standard names or min-max concentrations.
Quantitative Contour and 3-D surface maps can be automatically created from within Probe for Windows using optional SurferTM software.
As a crystal approaches the electron beam, the background continuum rises sharply. Background modeling permits the analyst to accurately define the background curve.
The periodic table can be launched with one mouse click and contains elemental properties, x-ray emission and absorption energies, x-ray fluorescence yields, isotopes and decay models.
Calculations Options include Olivine, Feldspar, Pyroxene and Garnet end member calculations, in addition to a variety of other choices.
Probe for Windows easily exports data to Excel 2000 and 2003. Weight percents, oxide weight percents, stage coordinates, count times, dead times, standard counts, unknown counts and a assortment of other data is neatly divided by samples and inserted in worksheets.