Development of a real-time beam current monitoring system for microbeam scanning-PIXE analysis using a ceramic channel electron multiplier

Microbeam scanning-PIXE (micro-PIXE) analysis is a useful method for obtaining information of multi-elemental distribution in samples by two-dimensional images of sample surfaces such as mammalian cells, tissues, and other environmental monitoring species. In addition to elemental distribution information, quantitative analysis is in demand for further investigations of environmental and biomedical studies concerning heavy metals accumulated in terms of cells and sub-cellular organelles. To make quantitative analysis possible, a real-time beam monitoring system that gives a precise number of ions, and an output independent from a sample that enables one to keep a beam resolution of micrometer size is required. In this paper, we report on the development of beam current monitoring. The beam current was monitored using a ceramic channel electron multiplier (CEM) to detect secondary electrons induced from a 50 nm thick carbon film (10 μg/cm2). This carbon film was attached to a sample holder, which was set at the targeted sample position. The output value of the CEM was proportional to the Faraday cup installed just after the sample position. The beam resolution was measured using off-axis STIM by scanning a copper grid, and was estimated at 1.79 and 1.72 μm for the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, sufficient for routine micro-PIXE analysis.