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Keisuke MAEHATA Makoto MAEDA Naoko IYOMOTO Kenji ISHIBASHI Keisuke NAKAMURA Katsunori AOKI Koji TAKASAKI Kazuhisa MITSUDA Keiichi TANAKA
A four-pixel-array superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter with a mushroom-shaped absorber was fabricated for the energy dispersive spectroscopy performed on a transmission electron microscope. The TES consists of a bilayer of Au/Ti with either a 50-nm or 120-nm thickness. The absorber of 5.0,$mu$m thick is made from a Au layer and its stem is deposited in the center of the TES surface. A Ta$_{2}$O$_{5}$ insulating layer of 100-nm thickness is inserted between the overhang region of the absorber and the TES surface. A selected pixel of the TES microcalorimeter was operated for the detection of Np L X-rays emitted from an $^{241}$Am source. A response of the TES microcalorimeter to L X-rays was obtained by analyzing detection signal pulses with using the optimal filter method. An energy resolution was obtained to be 33,eV of the full width at half maximum value at 17.751,keV of Np L$_{eta 1}$ considering its natural width of 13.4,eV. Response to L X-rays emitted from a mixture source of $^{238}$Pu, $^{239}$Pu and $^{241}$Am was obtained by operating the selected pixel of the TES microcalorimeter. Major L X-ray peaks of progeny elements of $alpha$ decay of Pu and Am isotopes were clearly identified in the obtained energy spectrum. The experimental results demonstrated the separation of $^{241}$Am and plutonium isotopes by L X-ray spectroscopy.
Keiichi TANAKA Akikazu ODAWARA Atsushi NAGATA Yukari BABA Satoshi NAKAYAMA Shigenori AIDA Toshimitsu MOROOKA Yoshikazu HOMMA Izumi NAKAI Kazuo CHINONE
The Transition Edge Sensor (TES)-Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) is an X-ray detector with high-energy resolution (12.8 eV). The TES can be mounted to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The TES-EDS is based on a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator. The high-energy resolution enables analysis of the distribution of various elements in samples under low acceleration voltage (typically under 5 keV) by using K-lines of light elements and M lines of heavy elements. For example, the energy of the arsenic L line differs from the magnesium K line by 28 eV. When used to analyze the spore of the Pteris vittata L plant, the TES-EDS clearly reveals a different distribution of As and Mg in the micro region of the plant. The TES-EDS with SEM yields detailed information about the distribution of multi-elements in a sample.