Critical evaluation of the potential of radiofrequency pulsed glow discharge–time-of-flight mass spectrometry for depth-profile analysis of innovative materials

Abstract

The combination of radiofrequency pulsed glow discharge (RF-PGD) analytical plasmas with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) has promoted the applicability of this ion source to direct analysis of innovative materials. In this sense, this emerging technique enables multi-elemental depth profiling with high depth resolution and sensitivity, and simultaneous production of elemental, structural, and molecular information. The analytical potential and trends of this technique are critically presented, including comparison with other complementary and well-established techniques (e.g. SIMS, GD-OES, etc.). An overview of recent applications of RF-PGD-TOFMS is given, including analysis of nano-structured materials, coated-glasses, photovoltaic materials, and polymer coatings.

Metal analysis in polymers using tandem LA-ICP-MS/LIBS: eliminating matrix effects using multivariate calibration

“…Here, the number of available techniques is limited by the usual absence of the electrical conductivity of polymers, which aggravates the analysis using OES with an arc/spark excitation source 5 or glow discharge-optical emission spectroscopy/mass spectrometry (GD-OES/MS). 6,7 Most commonly applied techniques are therefore Xray based (XRF and EPMA); 8,9 furthermore laser-assisted techniques such as LIBS 10,11 or LA-ICP-MS 12,13 have been used. Due to their non-destructive nature, XRF and EPMA are limited to the analysis of the surface near sample regions, whereas LA-ICP-MS and LIBS also offer the possibility of depth proling.…”

Laser Ablation/Ionisation Mass Spectrometry: Sensitive and Quantitative Chemical Depth Profiling of Solid Materials

“…These include e.g. the chemical analysis of layered solar panels, [1,2] the analysis of space-weathered samples, [3] the investigations of contaminants embedded within electrodeposited Cu interconnects [4,5] and extensive chemical analyses of corroded glass, [6] ancient celadon [7] or geological samples, [8] among many others. In comparison to bulk analyses, measurement techniques with high spatial resolution enable detailed chemical insights into the sample material and provide better understanding of physical and chemical processes that may have fashioned or modified the analyte of interest.…”

“…Va rious sensitive and high-resolution measurement techniques available nowadays on the market, such as Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), [9,10] X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), [9,11] Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) [5,9] and Secondary Neutron Mass Spectroscopy (SNMS), [12] Glow Discharge Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GD-TOF-MS) [1,9] or Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) [2,6,9] are widely applied for the understanding of the above listed questions concerning the chemical composition of solid materials. Each analytical technique differs in its measurement capabilities and limitations, including e.g.…”

Depth Profile Analysis of Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells by Pulsed Radiofrequency Glow Discharge Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

“…Among the different direct solid analysis techniques, glow discharge (GD)-based instruments are very appropriate for the characterization of thin layered samples because of their good depth resolution (few nanometers), low matrix effects, and high sample throughput (less than 5 min per analysis) [4,5]. A GD plasma is initiated when applying a high potential (~kV) between two electrodes containing a discharge gas (e.g., Ar).…”

“…Moreover, the application of pulses to the GDs gives rise to Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13361-014-1022-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. higher analytical sensitivity [7], while reducing the thermal stress in the analyzed samples [4]. In pulsed mode, the plasma is a dynamic system as the discharge is switched on and off periodically, thus producing different ionization mechanisms during the pulse period.…”