Definitions for "Microprobe"
Keywords:  ion, beam, sputtered, focused, stable
a device that uses electromagnetic or electrostatic lenses to focus a ion beam much smaller
an instruments that applies a stable and well-focused beam of charged particles (electrons or ions) used to determine the chemical composition of solid materials (minerals, glasses, metals)
A microprobe is an instrument that applies a stable and well-focused beam of charged particles (electrons or ions) to a sample. Scientists use this beam of charged particles to determine the elemental composition of solid materials (minerals, glasses, metals). The chemical composition of the target can be found from the elemental data extracted through emitted X-rays (in the case where the primary beam consists of charged electrons) or measurement of an emitted secondary beam of material sputtered from the target (in the case where the primary beam consists of charged ions).