A New Technique for the Elemental Analysis of Thin Surface Layers of Solids

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
It is shown that the combination of rf glow‐discharge sputtering and mass spectrometry provides a very sensitive method for determining the composition of thin surface layers of solids. The sample is immersed in an rf sputtering glow discharge and a fraction of those sputtered atoms which are ionized in the discharge by Penning ionization are monitored with a quadrupole mass filter. 1011 sputtered atom/sec can readily be detected and considerable improvement in sensitivity can easily be anticipated. The sensitivity is comparable for all elements except He, Ne, and F and is independent of the matrix in which the species are contained; i.e., standards are not required. The matrix can be electrically insulating or conducting.