ISO 23833:2013

Overview

ISO 23833:2013 - "Microbeam analysis - Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) - Vocabulary" defines and standardizes the terminology used in electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The standard provides systematic, hierarchical definitions for general and specific concepts used in EPMA practice and is intended for use across EPMA-related standardization documents. Parts of ISO 23833:2013 also apply to related microbeam techniques (SEM, AEM, EDX/EDS, WDS/WDX) for terms common to those fields.

Key topics and requirements

ISO 23833:2013 establishes consistent definitions for terms that describe:

• EPMA concepts and modes: EPMA qualitative and EPMA quantitative (identification vs quantitative concentration assignment).
• Instrumentation: microprobe/microsonde, spectrometers (WDS/WDX, EDS/EDX) and positioning optics.
• Electron–matter interactions: elastic and inelastic scattering, backscattered electrons (BSE), secondary electrons (SE - conventionally < 50 eV), diffusion effects and scattering angles.
• X‑ray generation and types: characteristic X‑rays, continuous X‑rays (bremsstrahlung), generation mechanisms.
• Ionization and cross sections: ionization cross section, fluorescence yield (ω), ionization energy (thresholds), and the J‑value for average ionization energy.
• Absorption and attenuation: mass absorption coefficient, mass attenuation coefficient, absorption jumps, depth distribution function ϕ(ρz), and X‑ray emergence angle.
• Mathematical descriptors: stopping power (dE/ds), cross sections, and definitions for distributions (angular and depth). Requirements are primarily linguistic and definitional: provide unambiguous, internationally agreed vocabulary to ensure uniform interpretation across standards, publications, test reports and instrument specifications.

Applications and who uses this standard

ISO 23833:2013 is essential for:

• EPMA laboratory analysts and instrument operators - to write clear methods, reports and results.
• Instrument manufacturers and software developers - to label features, outputs and documentation consistently.
• Standards bodies and metrology institutes - to harmonize terminology in related standards and accreditation criteria.
• Materials scientists, geologists, metallurgists, semiconductor and ceramic engineers - who rely on EPMA data, inter‑laboratory comparisons and QA/QC.
• Academic and training programs - for teaching accepted EPMA vocabulary and reproducible methodology language. Practical benefits include improved clarity in specifications, reduced ambiguity in test methods, consistent metadata for datasets, and better communication between laboratories and vendors.

Related standards

ISO 23833:2013 cross‑references vocabulary standards such as ISO 18115‑1 (surface chemical analysis vocabulary) and is applicable alongside standards covering EPMA procedures, instrument performance, QA/QC and complementary techniques (SEM, AEM, EDX/EDS, WDS/WDX).

Keywords: ISO 23833:2013, EPMA vocabulary, electron probe microanalysis glossary, microbeam analysis terminology, X‑ray generation, backscattered electrons, ionization cross section, mass attenuation coefficient.