INTERFERENCE
An analytical situation when a peak from another element overlaps a primary analytical line or background measurement position used in the data acquisition. Ignoring this interference will often result in an incorrect analysis. This is sometimes seen as a high total when the on-peak interference is large or as a negative raw k-ratio (KRAW) when the off-peak position is interfered with. However when the interfered element is only a minor or trace quantity, even a small interference can result in a large error on the interfered element without affecting the overall total significantly. These primary line interferences can be completely and quantitatively corrected for using Probe for EPMA. Be aware however, that interferences on your off-peak positions need to be checked for, before acquiring any off-peak sample data, especially for trace and minor element analyses.
In some cases where one has the choice between use of two diffracting crystals, the one with the lowest 2d will provide the maximum spectral resolution available for minimizing overlap of peaks.