Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX) is employed in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for local elemental identification. The incident electron beam induces X-ray fluorescence in the sample which is energy-analysed using a cooled semiconductor detector. The element-specific spectral lines are then identified to give the local elemental composition.

EDX provides a powerful tool for identifying local composition within TEM images and is utilised extensively in applications ranging from failure analysis to elemental mapping. We addtionally offer Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) which provides elemental mapping with higher sensitivity to low mass elements.

TEM-EDX elemental analysis of individual metal catalyst particles, with an example EDX spectrum shown inset.