Handheld material analyser
AssigneeOrion Engineering Limited
InventorsVladimir Vishnyakov, Paul Nicholas Gater
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a handheld material analyser comprising an air-tight chamber having an analysis aperture; an electron beam generation system adapted to direct a beam of electrons through the analysis aperture; an Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy system having a detector located in the chamber; the chamber being adapted to operate at internal pressures between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum of the order of 1 Pa; and a gas inlet adapted to receive an inert gas for generating a plasma in the region of the photocathode. In this way, the plasma can clean the photocathode.
Claims23
A handheld material analyser comprising
- an air-tight chamber having an analysis aperture, the analysis aperture being surrounded by a seal suitable for forming a temporary air-tight seal against a material surface to be analysed;
- an electron beam generation system comprising a focussed LED adapted to illuminate a photocathode, wherein the photocathode is located in the air-tight chamber and the electron beam generation system is adapted to direct a beam of electrons through the analysis aperture;
- an Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy system having a detector located in the air-tight chamber;
- the air-tight chamber being adapted to operate at internal pressures between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum of the order of or below 1 Pa, and having
- an outlet adapted to be connected to a vacuum pump;
- and
- a gas inlet adapted to receive an inert gas for generating a plasma in the region of the photocathode, such that the plasma cleans the photocathode.
A method for analysing a material sample using a handheld material analyser, the handheld material analyser having a chamber with an analysis aperture, the steps of the method comprising
- applying the analysis aperture to a surface of a material to be analysed such that an air-tight seal is formed;
- establishing a pressure of the order of or below 1 Pa within the chamber;
- generating a beam of electrons in the chamber, by illuminating a photocathode within the chamber with a focussed LED,
- directing the beam of electrons at the surface through the analysis aperture;
- analysing X-ray emissions from the surface resulting from the impact of the beam of electrons to determine the elemental composition of the material sample;
- the method further comprising
- assessing an efficacy of the step of generating a beam of electrons, and if the efficacy is below a threshold, initiating a cleaning cycle, wherein the cleaning cycle comprises
- adjusting the potential between the chamber and photocathode;
- providing an inert gas to the chamber through a gas inlet to generate a pressure in the order of 10 Pa such that a plasma is formed in the region of the photocathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.