We describe a high-throughput scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy setup using a microfocused synchrotron X-ray beam, which is optimized for in-parallel X-ray characterization of composition and crystalline structure of combinatorial samples. We present X-ray fluorescence elemental maps of a full ternary CoxMnyGe1-x-y composition-spread thin film and discuss the quantitative analysis method used for obtaining the ternary composition. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.