High current electron probe microanalysis of minerals

New generation electron probe microanalysers are able to provide a stable beam with a relatively high probe current for long periods. This stability opens new possibilities for mineral analysis, because high current and increased time measurements are now available. As a result, reproducibility of the measurements is improved and detection limit for the traces of elements is lowered. The range of applications of the high current microanalysis has increased in the recent years. New applications are in general geochemical research, in monomineral geothermometry, in Th‐U‐Pb geochronology etc. In the near future the range of problems where HCMA can be applied will certainly increase.