Total-Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis

Over the past decade, total reflection X ray fluorescence, or TXRF, has been used increasingly for multielement analysis in laboratories and industry worldwide. Providing reliable, economical readings of the minute mass or low concentration of elements, TXRF is especially suitable for micro and trace analysis. It is also effective in the analysis of flat sample surfaces and stratified near surface layers, offering a nondestructive means of quality control of wafers for the semiconductor industry. This is the first book dedicated to this powerful and highly efficient analytical tool. Written by a leading expert with three decades of specialization in X ray spectral analysis, it features a remarkably readable treatment complete with hundreds of illustrations, equations, and references. Using only a minimum of mathematics, the author focuses on practical applications of TXRF in a variety of disciplines, including geology, biology, material and environmental sciences, medicine, forensics, and art history. The book begins with an introduction to the physical fundamentals of X ray fluorescence and the principles of total reflection. A survey of TXRF instruments and their operation includes high power X ray sources, beam adapting units, sample positioning, and energydispersive detection and registration. Professor Klockenkämper shows readers how to perform analyses, using sample preparation and spectra recording and interpretation, and presents realworld examples from environmental, medical, industrial, art historical, and forensic applications. The book closes with a discussion of the latest developments in the field, drawing a comparison between TXRF and other methods of analytical atomic spectroscopy. Total Reflection X Ray Fluorescence Analysis helps professionals evaluate the suitability of this method to their specific needs, pinpoint new applications, and gain insight into the future of TXRF. It is an excellent text for graduate students and a useful guide for scientists and technicians in a wide range of fields.