Patent ID: 6370220
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method for analysis of a sample (5, 6) which includes:a substrate (5) containing a chemical element b; a thin layer (6) which is deposited on the substrate and contains the same chemical element b and a chemical element a, the method including the steps of: irradiating the sample by means of primary X-rays, detecting the intensity of X-ray lines of comparatively hard fluorescent X-rays and of comparatively soft fluorescent X-rays, both generated in the sample (5, 6) due to the irradiation by means of the primary X-rays, wherein one or more of the following combinations of X-ray lines of the chemical elements a and b are detected: b-L/b-K; b-K/a-L; b-L/a-L; b-L/a-M; a-M/a-L; a-M/a-N; a-K/b-K; a-K/b-L; a-K/a-L; and the thickness of the thin layer (6) and/or the concentration of the first or the second chemical element is determined on the basis of the X-ray lines determined for the comparatively hard and for the comparatively soft fluorescent X-rays.