‭ inistry of Higher Education and Scientific Research‬

M
‭University Of Thi-Qar‬
‭College Of Science‬
‭Department of Chemistry / MSc‬

‭Nanotechnology‬

‭Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis‬

‭(EDX/EDS)‬

‭By: Fatima Raheem‬

‭Supervised by:‬

‭Asst. prof. Dr. Saad Shahad AL-Omary‬

‭Introduction‬

I‭ n‬ ‭the‬ ‭field‬ ‭of‬ ‭nanotechnology,‬ ‭precise‬ ‭characterization‬ ‭of‬ ‭materials‬ ‭is‬

‭essential‬ ‭for‬ ‭understanding‬ ‭their‬ ‭properties‬ ‭and‬ ‭optimizing‬ ‭their‬
‭performance.‬ ‭Energy‬ ‭Dispersive‬ ‭X-ray‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭(EDX‬ ‭or‬ ‭EDS)‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬
‭powerful‬ ‭analytical‬ ‭tool‬ ‭widely‬ ‭used‬ ‭to‬ ‭determine‬ ‭the‬ ‭elemental‬
‭composition‬‭of‬‭nanomaterials.‬‭This‬‭technique‬‭plays‬‭a‬‭crucial‬‭role‬‭in‬‭quality‬
‭control,‬ ‭research,‬ ‭and‬ ‭development‬ ‭across‬ ‭diverse‬ ‭industries,‬ ‭including‬
‭electronics, materials science, and biotechnology.‬

‭ nergy‬‭Dispersive‬‭X-ray‬‭Spectroscopy‬‭(EDX)‬‭is‬‭a‬‭technique‬‭based‬‭on‬‭the‬
E
‭collection‬ ‭and‬ ‭energy‬ ‭dispersion‬ ‭of‬ ‭X-rays‬ ‭created‬ ‭when‬ ‭high-energy‬
‭electrons bombard a sample.‬
‭The X-rays have energies that are characteristic of the elements in the‬
‭sample.‬
‭The EDS is attached to the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and the‬
‭two techniques are often used together.‬
 ‭ nergy‬‭Dispersive‬‭X-ray‬‭Spectrometry‬‭(EDXS)‬‭is‬‭the‬‭routine‬‭technique‬‭for‬
E
‭determining‬‭materials'‬‭elemental‬‭makeup‬‭and‬‭composition‬‭in‬‭the‬‭Scanning‬
‭or‬‭Transmission‬‭Electron‬‭Microscope‬‭(SEM/TEM).‬‭EDXS‬‭is‬‭almost‬‭always‬
‭shortened, and EDS is used instead.‬

‭ nergy‬ ‭Dispersive‬ ‭X-ray‬ ‭(EDX)‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭is‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭method‬ ‭for‬
E
‭compositional analysis using an electron microscope.‬
‭Therefore,‬‭the‬‭terms‬‭EDS‬‭and‬‭EDX‬‭are‬‭both‬‭used‬‭(often‬‭interchangeably)‬
‭to‬‭talk‬‭about‬‭the‬‭same‬‭method‬‭or‬‭the‬‭same‬‭equipment.‬‭In‬‭the‬‭view‬‭of‬‭some,‬
‭they mean something subtly different:‬
‭EDX‬ ‭refers‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭method‬ ‭(‭E
‬ DX‬ ‭analysis‬‭)‬ ‭while‬ ‭EDS‬ ‭is‬ ‭the‬ ‭equipment‬
‭(‭E ‬ nergy Dispersive Spectrometer‬‭).‬
‭Principle‬

◾‭ The principle of energy dispersive spectroscopy is similar to emission‬

‭spectroscopy, except that the excitation of electrons is brought about by‬
‭X-ray beams.‬
◾‭ The compound in sample has electrons in the ground state bound to the‬
‭nucleus.‬
◾‭ When X-rays are focused on a compound, the electrons in the ground‬
‭level get excited and reach an inner shell.‬
◾‭ This results in an electron hole in the outer shell which is then filled by‬
‭another electron from an outer high energy shell‬
◾‭ The difference in energy between the high energy shell and low energy‬
‭shell is released in the form of X-ray beams.‬
◾‭ The energy dispersive spectroscopy determines the (energy and number)‬
‭of X-ray beams released from the sample.‬
◾‭ The difference in energy between two shells is characteristics of the‬
‭atomic structure of the sample, which helps in the determination of the‬
‭composition of the sample‬
‭ uring EDX Analysis, the specimen is bombarded with an electron beam‬
D
‭inside the scanning electron microscope.‬

‭ he output of an EDX analysis is an EDX spectrum‬

T
‭An EDX spectrum plot not only identifies the element corresponding to‬
‭each of its peaks, but the type of X-ray to which it corresponds as well.‬

‭EDX/EDS offers several key advantages in nanotechnology:‬

-‭ Elemental Analysis: Enables rapid and accurate identification of elemental‬

‭composition, crucial for nanomaterial characterization.‬

-‭ High Sensitivity: Capable of detecting trace elements and impurities,‬

‭essential for quality control in nanomaterial synthesis.‬

-‭ Spatial Resolution: Can be combined with electron microscopy techniques‬

‭for precise localization of elemental distribution within nanoscale‬
‭structures.‬

-‭ Non-destructive Analysis: Allows for the examination of samples without‬

‭altering their structure, preserving the integrity of nanomaterials.‬

‭ pplication of EDX‬
A
‭Materials evaluation and identification‬
‭1. Contaminants‬
‭2. Elemental diffusion profiles‬
‭3. Multiple spot analysis of areas from 1 micron to 10 cm in diameter‬
‭4. Material verification‬