COPPER L-BETA L-ALPHA X-RAY-EMISSION INTENSITY RATIO OF COPPER-COMPOUNDS AND ALLOYS

Lalpha,beta (L3,2-V) X-ray fluorescence spectra of various copper compounds, metal, and alloys are measured. It is found that the intensity ratio of the two spectral lines, I(Lbeta)/I(Lalpha), changes with the change of the copper concentration in the sample as well as the change of the chemical state, that is the I(Lbeta)/I(Lalpha) intensity ratio is large if the copper concentration is low, and small if the copper concentration is high within the class of divalent Cu(II), monovalent Cu(I), or metal, and the ratio ordering is Cu(II) > Cu(I) > metal. It is concluded that the I(Lbeta)/I(Lalpha) intensity ratio modifications of metal and alloys are due to the self-absorption effect, and the intensity ratio, free from the self-absorption effect is 0.28 for metallic copper. It is also concluded that the fact that I(Lbeta)/I(Lalpha) is different from 1/2 is the L2-L3V Coster-Kronig transition owing to the small band gap.