NIST DTSA-II

NIST DTSA-II builds on the best available algorithms in the literature to simulate, quantify and plan energy dispersive x-ray analysis measurements.  The program implements analytical and Monte Carlo models for simulating x-ray spectra that can be compared directly to measured spectra.  The program implements the best available algorithms (including Filter-fitting and Pouchou and Pichoir’s XPP matrix correction algorithm) to provide the most accurate quantitative analysis available using energy dispersive detectors.  Finally, DTSA-II provides tools to help the analyst select the optimal standards and suitable instrument conditions to make accurate and precise measurements of composition.

Software

http://www.cstl.nist.gov/div837/837.02/epq/dtsa2/index.html

Related Publications

Newbury, D. E. and Ritchie, N. W. M. (2013), 'Is Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) Quantitative?', Scanning  35(3), 141-168.

Newbury, D. E. and Ritchie, N. W. M. (2015), 'Performing elemental microanalysis with high accuracy and high precision by scanning electron microscopy/silicon drift detector energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/SDD-EDS)', Journal of Materials Science 50(2), 493-518.

Ritchie, N. W. M. (2009), 'Spectrum Simulation in DTSA-II', Microscopy and Microanalysis 15(5), 454-468.

Ritchie, N. (2005), 'A new Monte Carlo application for complex sample geometries', Surface and Interface Analysis 37(11), 1006-1011.

Ritchie, N. W. M., Newbury, D. E. and Davis, J. M. (2012), 'EDS Measurements of X-Ray Intensity at WDS Precision and Accuracy Using a Silicon Drift Detector', Microscopy and Microanalysis 18(4), 892-904.

Newbury, D. E. and Ritchie, N. W. M. (2013), 'Elemental mapping of microstructures by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS): extraordinary advances with the silicon drift detector (SDD)', Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 28(7), 973-988.

Ritchie, N. W. M. (2010), 'Using DTSA-II to Simulate and Interpret Energy Dispersive Spectra from Particles', Microscopy and Microanalysis 16(3), 248-258.

Newbury, D. E. and Ritchie, N. W. M. (2018), 'An Iterative Qualitative-Quantitative Sequential Analysis Strategy for Electron-Excited X-ray Microanalysis with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry: Finding the Unexpected Needles in the Peak Overlap Haystack', Microscopy and Microanalysis 24(4), 350-373.

Ritchie, N. W. M. (2020), 'Embracing Uncertainty: Modeling the Standard Uncertainty in Electron Probe Microanalysis-Part I', Microscopy and Microanalysis 26(3), 469-483.

Boettinger, W. J., Newbury, D. E., Ritchie, N. W. M., Williams, M. E., Kattner, U. R., Lass, E. A., Moon, K. W., Katz, M. B. and Perepezko, J. H. (2019), 'Solidification of Ni-Re Peritectic Alloys', Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A – Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science  50A(2), 772-788.

Newbury, D. E. and Ritchie, N. W. M. (2022), 'Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectrum Simulation with NIST DTSA-II: Comparing Simulated and Measured Electron-Excited Spectra', Microscopy and Microanalysis 28(6), 1905-1916.

Newbury, D. E. and Ritchie, N. W. M. (2021), 'Quantitative Electron-Excited X-ray Microanalysis With Low-Energy L-shell X-ray Peaks Measured With Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry', Microscopy and Microanalysis 27(6), 1375-1408.