Data Acquisition with a Nuclear Microprobe

Spatially resolved information from the near surfaces of materials can be obtained with a nuclear microprobe. The spatial resolution is determined by the optics of the instrument and radiation damage in the specimen. Two- and three-dimensional maps of elemental concentration may be obtained from the near surfaces of materials. Data are acquired by repeated scans of a constantly moving beam over the region of interest or by counting for a preset integrated charge at each specimen location.