X-ray fluorescence system and method for identifying samples

A method for use on X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) measurements on a sample for detecting at least one material carried by the sample, the method comprising:

• providing material related data about said at least one material, said material related data comprising at least one of the following:
• a location of said at least one material within the sample;
• a lateral dimension of a surface region of the sample where said at least one material is located;
• and a thickness of a structure of said at least one material defining a desired absorbing volume of the sample;
• analyzing the material related data and determining optimal geometrical characteristics of an XRF system to be used in the XRF measurements on said sample for optimizing operational conditions of the XRF system, to maximize amount of primary X-ray radiation that reaches said desired volume of the sample and is absorbed by said volume and to maximize a portion of secondary radiation emitted from said volume that reaches a detector of the XRF system;
• and
• generating operational data to be provided to a controller of the XRF system for adjusting geometrical characteristics of the XRF system, said geometrical characteristics comprising at least one of the following:
• a distance between a primary radiation emitting plane of the XRF system and a sample plane;
• a distance between a detection plane of the XRF system and a sample plane;
• angular orientation of an irradiation channel defined by the XRF system;
• angular orientation of a detection channel defined by the XRF system;
• and a configuration of a scattering plate assembly at an emitting end portion of the XRF system.