Depth profiling of brass by means of PIXE

Abstract
The PIXE (particle‐induced x‐ray emission) depth profiling technique was applied to brass coatings on steel wire. Applying protons with energies E0 = 100–360 keV from a small electrostatic accelerator, the surface region to a depth of up to about 1 μm can be investigated. Three, or at maximum four, parameters of a suitable model function for the concentration profile were evaluated by analysing the ratio of Cu Kα and Zn Kα experimental x‐ray yields as a function of the primary energy of the particles.