The Principle of  X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

• Ionization of an inner atomic shell (creation of an electron vacancy and emission of a photoelectron) gives rise to a highly excited short-lived atomic state liable to decay back to the ground state.

• Transfer an outer electron to fill the vacancy in the inner shell and the emission of an X-ray photon.

• The energies and wavelengths of the emission X-ray are characteristic (different) for each element which forms the foundation of the modern XRF Spectrometry.