Low-Energy X-ray Microanalysis: Mitigating Pathological EDS Peak Overlaps Below 500eV - Carbon on Silver as a Model System
Low-Energy X-ray Microanalysis: Mitigating Pathological EDS Peak Overlaps Below 500eV - Carbon on Silver as a Model System
Wednesday, October 7, 2026: 11:00 PM
Summary:
The detection of carbonaceous contamination and thin-film residues is a critical task in semiconductor failure analysis, yet accuracy can be compromised by severe spectral overlaps (ref1). This paper addresses a persistent analytical "danger zone" occurring between yttrium and antimony, where the complex M-series and X-ray lines obscure the Carbon K-alpha peak (@277eV). This work evaluates the efficacy of low-voltage microanalysis and modern deconvolution algorithms to differentiate the true carbon signal from these substrate-induced artifacts, providing a practical framework for reliable contamination analysis for Ruthenium, Silver and other mid-atomic number elements.
The detection of carbonaceous contamination and thin-film residues is a critical task in semiconductor failure analysis, yet accuracy can be compromised by severe spectral overlaps (ref1). This paper addresses a persistent analytical "danger zone" occurring between yttrium and antimony, where the complex M-series and X-ray lines obscure the Carbon K-alpha peak (@277eV). This work evaluates the efficacy of low-voltage microanalysis and modern deconvolution algorithms to differentiate the true carbon signal from these substrate-induced artifacts, providing a practical framework for reliable contamination analysis for Ruthenium, Silver and other mid-atomic number elements.