Search

Performing an x-ray scattering analysis can underpin the quantitative description of a sample of interest, for example, to complement an x-ray fluorescence analysis. However, the reliability of such an analytical approach depends on good knowledge of scattering coefficients (or scattering cross-sections), which describe the probability of interaction and are characteristic of each chemical element. In this work, a metrological study of experimentally determining differential Rayleigh and Compton scattering coefficients for nickel is presented. Angular scans of the scattering intensities at different positions are enabled by a flexible experimental set-up and, therefore, allow for the robust determination of differential scattering coefficients at a wide range of forward and backward scattering angles. As a result, scattering coefficients in the range from 0.117 ( 14 ) × 10 − 3 cm2 g−1 sr−1 to 33.7 ( 39 ) × 10 − 3 cm2 g−1 sr−1 were determined in the momentum transfer range of 12.1 nm−1 to 22.4 nm−1. In addition, utilizing monochromatized and highly linearly polarized synchrotron radiation ( E 0 = 30 keV ) ensures direct comparability to theoretical databases.

A reliable and quantitative material analysis is crucial for assessing new technological processes, especially to facilitate a quantitative understanding of advanced material properties at the nanoscale. To this end, X‐ray fluorescence microscopy techniques can offer an element‐sensitive and non‐destructive tool for the investigation of a wide range of nanotechnological materials. Since X‐ray radiation provides information depths of up to the microscale, even stratified or buried arrangements are easily accessible without invasive sample preparation. However, in terms of the quantification capabilities, these approaches are usually restricted to a qualitative or semi‐quantitative analysis at the nanoscale. Relying on comparable reference nanomaterials is often not straightforward or impossible because the development of innovative nanomaterials has proven to be more fast‐paced than any development process for appropriate reference materials. The present work corroborates that a traceable quantification of individual nanoobjects can be realized by means of an X‐ray fluorescence microscope when utilizing rather conventional but well‐calibrated instrumentation instead of reference materials. As a proof of concept, the total number of atoms forming a germanium nanoobject is quantified using soft X‐ray radiation. Furthermore, complementary dimensional parameters of such objects are reconstructed.