Patent ID: 8357894

Claim:
A system for x-ray mapping, comprising: an ion beam focusing column; an electron focusing column for focusing an electron beam into a sufficiently small spot to resolve material separated by 15 nm; an x-ray optic for receiving x-rays emitted from the sample, the x-ray optic receiving and transmitting x-rays impinging on the optic entrance at angles up to at least 10 degrees; and multiple x-ray detectors, each x-ray detector including: an absorber for absorbing x-rays exiting the x-ray optic; and a temperature sensing device for converting a change in temperature of the x-ray absorber into an electronic signal, the multiple x-ray detectors capable of resolving energy difference of 15 eV, the system capable of determining a material map composed of 100 pixels by 100 pixels while collecting x-rays for a period of less than twenty minutes.