XRF imaging/mapping

XRF imaging employs a highly focussed beam of x-rays, typically micrometers to nanometers in diameter, to create a fluorescence image (or map) of a sample. The sample is moved through the beam to build up a series of fluorescence scans at different, well defined, positions. These scans are combined into a map, much like the pixels of a digital camera are combined into an image.

An alternative to the mapping approach would be to use a lens, much like a lens is used in a camera to focus an image onto the sensor of a digital camera. However, the relatively high energy of x-rays make them difficult to focus and so this mapping technique is often preferred.