Processing of energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectra

Much attention has been given to the treatment of energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectra. Descriptions of mathematical approaches (and their implementation in computer programs) have dealt with the major areas of separating peaks from background and from each other. There has been an unspoken but widely accepted underlying assumption that the more complex the approach, and the more general it seems to be, the better. This assumption appeals to the mathematicians and programmers but should be sharply challenged by users, whose focus is more properly the analytical results that can be obtained in specific circumstances.