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The goal of the proposed program is to develop detectors for X-ray fluorescence that have enhanced efficiency and energy resolution for low energy (<1 keV) X-rays. The better performance will be achieved through (1) determination of a process to reduce the "dead layer" in the crystal that, in existing detectors, limits the penetration of low energy X-rays into the active semiconductor material, and (2) realization of a process for depositing the window isolating the detector from the environment directly on the crystal. In Phase II, a multi-element Si(Li) detector will be fabricated and tested. That detector is expected to have a collection efficiency at Carbon Ka (277 eV) a factor of two greater than current standard Si(Li) X-ray detectors and an energy resolution of <100 eV FWHM at 277 eV for 100 kcps total throughput.