Authors: Cromwell, Evan F.¹; Arrowsmith, Peter²

Source: Applied Spectroscopy, Volume 49, Issue 11, Pages 1545-1719 (November 1995) , pp. 1652-1660(9)

Publisher: Society for Applied Spectroscopy

Abstract:

Aspects of laser ablation sample introduction for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) have been investigated. For some analytes, nonrepresentative subsampling or fractionation is the major cause of poor analytical accuracy. Fractionation is prevalent for ablation at low laser fluence and with multiple laser pulses incident on the same area of the sample surface. The fluence dependence is explained by the relative depths of the melt- and heat-affected zones. Volatile analyte elements that are segregated in the bulk, or become segregated as the ablation zone is heated, are most prone to fractionation. For metal alloys, the extent of fractionation can be qualitatively predicted from the binary-phase diagram of the corresponding analyte matrix. Analysis by Auger electron spectroscopy showed that miscible elements may also be segregated at the near surface, with the extent of segregation growing with multiple laser pulses. Such segregation results in increased fractionation.

Keywords: Laser ablation; ICP-MS; Metals; Fractionation; Segregation; Phase diagrams

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1366/0003702953965713

Affiliations: 1: IBM Storage Systems Division, 5600 Cottle Road, San Jose, California 95193 2: Celestica Inc., 844 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1V7, Canada

Publication date: 1995-11-01

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