Performing Integrated WDS and EDS Acquisition in PFE

[John Donovan]

While Ryan McAleer and I were looking into how we might decrease the time it takes to start an EDS acquisition using the JEOL MEC EDS interface, when using the TDI acquisition feature in Probe for EPMA:

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=79.msg13791#msg13791

we found another "interesting" behavior of the JEOL EDS software.

Previously we found that the JEOL EDS software automatically inserts the Faraday cup (PCD) when the EDS acquisition is complete. Of course when one is still acquiring WDS elements, this is not a good thing.  So in addition to item #2 listed here:

Ryan McAleer makes some suggestions for getting the best results from the JEOL EDS interface on iSP100/iHP200F instruments:

1. You should run a single EDS spectrum acquisition in the JEOL software prior to any EDS acquisitions with Probe for EPMA. Doing seems to get the JEOL software interface into a correct state. Just one EDS acquisition for each time starting the JEOL software. 

2. To avoid issues with the Faraday cup inserting before the WDS acquisitions are finished, you must uncheck the "Insert PCD after reservation execution is completed" [PFE will prompt you about this once per run]

3. The user should run a single EDS acquisition after they change the EDS time constant in Probe for EPMA. This is to ensure that these EDS conditions are properly saved for subsequent EDS element analyses. Or one can just set the EDS time constant they want in both JEOL (Analysis-->EDS analysis basic conditions) and Probe for EPMA. Otherwise the documented time constant on that first point will be incorrectly saved [we are looking into why this occurs].

4. If there is any hangup during EDS comm, RESTART the JEOL COMPUTER.  If you just restart the software (either through "ResetEPMA" or through the task manager) the "reservation" of the EDS will not clear and you will run into a variety of problems.

we have to add a new item because the JEOL EDS software also seems to change the beam mode once the EDS acquisition is completed, even if WDS elements are still being acquired!

Here are Ryan's observations:

During EDS analysis: JEOL software indicates scan coils on and spot mode--equivalent of pfe digital spot mode I think.



After EDS ends (but WDS still going), changes to this configuration: pfe equivalent of scan mode. I think when EDS run ends JEOL reverts to a standard state, which is probe scan, note that the beam stays defocused if you have that set, so if the Mag is set to 270K for analysis then maybe there is little practical effect. Becomes an issue if you want to make a valiant attempt to measure something smaller than FOV at 270K (<500nm).

So, just FYI.