Three-Dimensional Chemical Mapping with a Confocal XRF Setup

A new approach for the nondestructive reconstruction of stratified systems with constant elemental composition but with varying chemical compounds has been developed. The procedure is based on depth scans with a confocal X-ray fluorescence setup at certain energies near absorption edges. These so-called marker energies, where XAFS signals of the involved chemical compounds differ significantly, can also be used to uncover the chemical composition and its topology. A prominent field of application is homogeneous material that is degraded due to chemical reactions like oxidation or reduction. A procedure for the semiquantitative reconstruction of stratified material by means of depth scans at marker energies is elaborated and validated and a three-dimensional mapping is presented.