SIMS investigation of CrN sputtercoatings

Chromium nitride layers produced by reactive sputtering with different process parameters were characterized with EPMA, SIMS depth profiling, and three-dimensional SIMS imaging. EPMA results are used to quantify the major components of the films while SIMS is used to gather information about the distribution of the elements chromium, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. For all measurements a Cs+ primary ion beam was applied to sputter the sample. Positive MCs+ (M represents the element to be analyzed) secondary ions were detected. SIMS depth profiling shows an even distribution of all major elements except oxygen, which shows significant differences in concentration and distribution depending on the process parameters. CrN layers produced at low sputter power have much higher concentration of oxygen than layers produced with high sputter power. Heating the silicon substrate during the process results in an enrichment of oxygen at the interface.     

Investigation of the synthesis and internal structure of protective oxide layers on high-purity chromium with SIMS scanning techniques

The major problem affecting the application of chromium in high temperature processes is the ongoing spallation of the protective oxide layer formed during hot-gas oxidation. This results in a continuous material erosion. To gain a deeper insight in the spallation and oxidation process, a high-purity powder-metallurgically produced chromium sample was submitted to a two-stage hot gas oxidation process. The formed oxide layers were investigated by 3D SIMS and scanning SIMS. The formation of the protective oxide layer is carried by the diffusion of chromium from the bulk through the already existing oxide layer and the reaction of the diffused chromium with the oxygen from the gaseous phase. In parallel to the growing of the oxide layer, an accumulation of impurities at the interface oxide layer – bulk can be observed. The enrichment of trace elements at the interface level (for the investigated sample Cl and N) can be explained by the low solubility of these elements in chromium oxide and therefore their inability to diffuse through the already formed protective layer. Received: 24 June 1996 / Revised: 22 January 1997 / Accepted: 26 January 1997     

Determination of chromium,manganese, lead and cadmium in biological samples including hair using direct electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Direct analysis of solid samples employing a laboratory assembled electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer is demonstrated to be a feasible approach for determination of trace elements in plant tissue and hair samples for special applications in plant physiology and biomedical research. As an example, the kinetics of Cr uptake by cabbage and its distribution have been measured as a function of chromium speciation in the nutrient solution. Further, longitudinal concentration gradients of Cr, Pb and Cd have been measured in hair of various population groups exposed to different levels of these elements in ambient and/or occupational environments. The techniques are validated for the determination of these trace elements by neutron activation analysis, dissolution atomic absorption spectrometry and by analysis of certified reference materials. Slurry sample introduction is found appropriate for routine trace element determination and in homogeneity testing. Direct sample introduction is indispensable in the analysis of very small (< 1 mg) tissue biopsy samples in the determination of trace element distributions.     

Imaging surface spectroscopy for two- and three-dimensional characterization of materials

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) exhibits a unique potential for the measurement of two-and three-dimensional distributions of trace elements in advanced materials, which is demonstrated on relevant technological problems. One example is the characterization of high purity iron. With this material segregation experiments have been performed and the initial and final distribution of the trace elements have been measured. Another example is the investigation of the corrosion behaviour of high purity chromium. Samples oxidized with (16)O and (18)O have been measured to explain the growing and adhesion of the oxide layer. All imaging techniques generate a vast quantitiy of data. In order to extract the important information the assistance of chemometric tools is essential. Detection of chemical phases by classification using neural networks or de-noising of scanning-SIMS images by wavelet-filtering demonstrates the increase of the performance of analytical imaging techniques.     

Imaging surface spectroscopy for two- and three-dimensional characterization of materials

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) exhibits a unique potential for the measurement of two-and three-dimensional distributions of trace elements in advanced materials, which is demonstrated on relevant technological problems. One example is the characterization of high purity iron. With this material segregation experiments have been performed and the initial and final distribution of the trace elements have been measured. Another example is the investigation of the corrosion behaviour of high purity chromium. Samples oxidized with ¹⁶O and ¹⁸O have been measured to explain the growing and adhesion of the oxide layer. All imaging techniques generate a vast quantitiy of data. In order to extract the important information the assistance of chemometric tools is essential. Detection of chemical phases by classification using neural networks or de-noising of scanning-SIMS images by wavelet-filtering demonstrates the increase of the performance of analytical imaging techniques.     

Investigation of the formation and properties of protective oxide layers on high purity chromium with SIMS imaging techniques

Spallation of the protective oxide layer formed during hot gas oxidation is the main reason for the corrosion of high purity powder metallurgically produced chromium[1]. To explain the formation and occasional spallation of the oxide layer a chromium sample subjected to two consecutive oxidation processes in¹⁶O and¹⁸O atmosphere at high temperature was characterised by 2D and 3D SIMS.The formation of the protective oxide can be described by the diffusion of chromium from the bulk to the surface and the reaction of the chromium atoms with the oxygen from the gaseous phase. The very low solubility of nitrogen in chromium oxide indicates its inability to diffuse through the growing oxide layer and explains the enrichment of nitrogen (same mechanism applies for chlorine) in the interface metal/oxide. The accumulation of trace elements within the interface during the oxidation process explains the reduced adhesion power of the passivation layer and its spallation.Dedicated to Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h.c. Hubertus Nickel on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Identification of embrittling trace impurities in tungsten heavy alloys by SIMS

Embrittlement of tungsten heavy alloys is often caused by trace impurities. Heavy alloys containing O, Al and Si, respectively, were mechanically tested and exhibited interfacial embrittlement. SIMS analysis of metallographic sections was found to be a suitable tool for comparative analysis of heavy alloys with different fracture behaviour, the results obtained being not dependent on the fracture mode as is the case e.g. with AES. It was found that oxygen may cause embrittlement at the interfaces even at low overall content, since it is enriched at the phase boundaries tungsten-binder. Al is detrimental if it covers the interfaces rather evenly; grossly inhomogeneous distribution is less harmful. Generally, the distribution of trace elements is much more important than their total amount.     

Determination and statistical analysis of trace element and active constituent concentrations in the medicinal plant Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh (E. rostratus Schlecht)

In the leaves of the medicinal plant Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh (E. rostratus Schlecht) collected from different sampling areas of Greece the trace elements antimony, cesium, chromium, cobalt, iron, europium, rubidium, scandium, strontium, thorium and zinc were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. In the same samples, the essential oil was determined by steam distillation and the percent relative composition of the essential oil in 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, -pinene by gas liquid chromatography. Also the refractive index of the essential oil was determined by a refractometer. Statistical analysis included the calculation of the correlation coefficient. Multiple correlation and cluster analysis was applied to all analytical data. The results showed that the trace elements iron, chromium, cobalt and zinc are correlated with the variation of the concentration of essential oil in the examined plant. These four elements along with rubidium and essential oil content could be used for the separation of the samples into groups related to the sampling areas. Statistically significant correlation between active constituents and some trace elements and a linear negative correlation between 1,8-cineole and refractive index were found.     

3D-SIMS analysis of ultra high purity molybdenum and tungsten: a characterisation of different manufacturing techniques and products

Applying a recently developed three dimensional SIMS imaging technique major differences in the distribution of trace elements in ultra high purity Mo and W have been found. In the electron beam melted material severe grain boundary segregation of trace elements have occurred whereas in the hot pressed material trace elements have been present as precipitates with a size of 5–15 m. Guided by the results of the 3D-SIMS images and the advantages of the sintering process a material with homogeneous distribution of trace elements has been developed and characterised. To test the applicability for the microelectronics industry, sputtering targets have been manufactured out of this new material and layers with a thickness of 350 nm have been sputterdeposited on silicon. The quality of these layers, with respect to particle emission and the distribution of trace elements, was evaluated by EPMA and 3D-SIMS imaging. Further improvement of the sintering process led to a material with a completely homogeneous distribution of C, H, N, O and S to minimise the outgassing and diffusion of impurities.Abbreviations BSE Back scattered electron - EPMA Electron probe micro analysis - GAAS Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry - GDMS Glow discharge mass spectrometry - ICP-AES Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry - ICP-MS Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry - SIMS Secondary ion mass spectrometry - ULSI Ultra large scale integration     

Application of SIMS in Re-Technology Studies: Characterization of Trace-Element Distributions and Quantitative of Carbon-Determination

 The content and the three dimensional distribution of impurities play an important role in the production process of high purity rhenium powder (99.99% purity grade) and for its further use as alloying and coating agent in high temperature applications. In this paper the characterization of raw Re granulate, Re powder, cleaned by heat treatment, Re coatings, produced by most common preparation methods (PVD and VPS) and PM Re by means of SIMS is presented. The analysis of the three dimensional distribution of trace elements is performed by 3D SIMS. The quantification of carbon, which was not possible with other analytical techniques as a result of the high volatility of Re₂O₇ until now, has been carried out by SIMS depth profile analysis. It is discussed if internal standards, produced by introduction of defined amounts of carbon soot to the Re powder lead to useful results.     

Adhesion promotion of Cu on C by Cr intermediate layers investigated by the SIMS method

Copper-carbon composites are candidate materials for heat sinks for high speed/high-performance electronic components. They combine high thermal conductivity with low density and a tailorable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). Because of the low wettability of carbon by copper, a thin layer of chromium can be deposited to promote both the adhesion and the thermal contact of copper with the carbon fibers. Therefore, in a first step layers of Cr and Cu were deposited by magnetron sputtering on plane vitreous carbon substrates (Sigradur G), which serve as a model for carbon fibers. From pull-off-adhesion measurements an interlayer thickness of Cr in the range of 2-10 nm was found to provide the optimal adhesion for 1 micro m thick copper overlayers. To model the later serial fabrication of the composite that involves a hot pressing step following the deposition, the C/Cr/Cu samples were heat treated at 800 degrees C under vacuum for 1 h. Adhesion on the heat-treated samples was superior in comparison to the untreated ones. To obtain information about the adhesion mechanism secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) investigations were done on the depth distribution of the main elements copper, chromium, and carbon. Two samples, one as deposited and one subjected to heat treatment after deposition, were compared in this investigation. We found that heat treatment mainly modifies the distribution of Cr in the C/Cr/Cu system.     

Quantitative analysis of the Ge concentration in a SiGe quantum well: comparison of low-energy RBS and SIMS measurements

The germanium concentration and the position and thickness of the quantum well in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown SiGe were quantitatively analyzed via low-energy Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). In these samples, the concentrations of Si and Ge were assumed to be constant, except for the quantum well, where the germanium concentration was lower. The thickness of the analyzed quantum well was about 12 nm and it was situated at a depth of about 60 nm below the surface. A dip showed up in the RBS spectra due to the lower germanium concentration in the quantum well, and this was evaluated. Good depth resolution was required in order to obtain quantitative results, and this was obtained by choosing a primary energy of 500 keV and a tilt angle of 51° with respect to the surface normal. Quantitative information was deduced from the raw data by comparing it with SIMNRA simulated spectra. The SIMS measurements were performed with oxygen primary ions. Given the response function of the SIMS instrument (the SIMS depth profile of the germanium delta (δ) layer), and using the forward convolution (point-to-point convolution) model, it is possible to determine the germanium concentration and the thickness of the analyzed quantum well from the raw SIMS data. The aim of this work was to compare the results obtained via RBS and SIMS and to show their potential for use in the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. The detection of trace elements (here the doping element antimony) that could not be evaluated with RBS in low-energy mode is also demonstrated using SIMS instead.     

Preparation of NiCrBSi‐WC brazed coating and its microstructure characteristics

WC–Ni composite coatings were developed by the powder cloth and the vacuum brazing technology. The wear resistance and the corrosion resistance of the brazed WC–Ni coatings were investigated. The peeling coating samples were prepared by using solder mask during brazing. The microstructures for the powder cloth and for the brazed coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The distribution of elements in the different area of the brazed coatings was determined by energy dispersive X‐ray maps. It shows that the segregation of chromium carbides occurs during brazing. Apart from penetrating into the interspaces of WC particles, the Ni‐based filler can also infiltrate and spread on the substrate surface. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法（ICP—AES）测定红糖中的微量元素

目的红糖人药胜过白砂糖和冰糖,其机理在哪？是糖中的桔水成分,或是红糖中的矿物质成分,值得研究。方法采用微波消解法处理样品,用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法（ICP—AES）测定红糖中的微量元素。结果14种微量元素的检测限为1．1—7．3μg·L-1,方法准确度为96．7％-109．4％,方法精密度为0．88％-9．15％。结论微波消解样品快速、准确,用ICP—AES同时测定红糖中的镁、锌、铁、铜、铬、锰、钒、锶、镍、钴、硼、铅、镉和钛等14种微量元素,检出限低,适用于红糖微量元素的常规检测。     

Progress in materials analysis with SIMS: Quantitative surface and interface characterization

Summary The potential and limitations of SIMS for quantitative surface and interface characterization of technical materials are described. Quantification procedures, figures of merit and analytical strategies are discussed for surface characterization of single cristals (dopant elements in Si), homogeneous metallic thin films (multielement trace analysis), heterogeneous glass layer structures (corrosion behaviour), polycristalline metals with precipitations (C, O, Al, Si in steel) and interface analysis by depth profiling (Cr distribution in Si₃N₄/GaAs) as well as step scanning (segregation studies of P in W-NiFe).

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Fortschritte der Werkstoffanalyse mit SIMS: Quantitative Grenzflächencharakterisierung

Zusammenfassung Die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von SIMS für die quantitative Grenzflächencharakterisierung in Werkstoffen wurden beschrieben. Quantifizierungsverfahren, analytische Gütekennziffern und Strategien wurden an folgenden Beispielen diskutiert: Oberflächenanalyse von Einkristallen (Dotierungselemente in Silizium), homogenen metallischen Dünnfilmstrukturen (Multielement-Spurenanalyse) und polykristallinen Materialien mit Ausscheidungen (C, O, Al, Si in Stahl); Grenzflächenanalyse durch Aufnahme von Tiefenprofilen (Verteilung von Cr zwischen Si₃N₄ und GaAs) und Linienprofilen (Segregation von P in W-NiFe).

     

Heteroelemental diatomic secondary ions as a probe for molecular states

Summary The complete chemical characterization of environmental particles requires a depth resolved analysis of the chemical state of the elements. Using dynamic SIMS, a depth-resolved determination of the chemical state of chromium was derived from measurements of ten different chromium salts and oxides. The evaluation is based on the signals of Cr ₂ ⁺ , CrO⁺ and Cr₂O⁺ which are the most intense molecular ions. The valence state of chromium can be determined for concentrations far less than 1 atom %. The transferability of this kind of analysis is shown for manganese compounds. Additionally binary mixed metal clusters are shown to indicate binding partners of compounds in mixtures.     

悬浊液直接进样非火焰原子吸收法测定蔬菜样品中微量铬的研究

本文通过用直接悬浊液进样原子吸收法对新鲜蔬菜中铬的测定,研究了各种实验条件,并建立了实际测定新鲜蔬菜中微量元素的方法。该法将可用于食品。     

Quantitative analysis of microstructures by secondary ion mass spectrometry.

The focus of this review is on trace-element quantitation of microstructures in solids. This review is aimed at the nonspecialist who wants to know how secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) quantitation is achieved. Despite 35 years of SIMS research and applications, SIMS quantitation remains a fundamentally empirical enterprise and is based on standards. The most used standards are "bulk standards"-solids with a homogeneous distribution of a trace element-and ion-implanted solids. The SIMS systematics of bulk standards and ion-implanted solids are reviewed.     

SIMS depth profiling, line scanning and imaging analyses of the oxide layer on in-reactor corroded cladding specimens with high lateral resolution

The distribution of the reactor water components lithium and boron in the oxide layer of in-reactor corroded Zircaloy fuel rod cladding specimens was investigated by depth profiling, line scanning and imaging analyses using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The exact thickness of the oxide layer on the specimens was measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SIMS analyses showed that lithium and boron were not homogeneously distributed in the oxide layer. The peak concentration of lithium was found close to the reactor water/oxide interface of the specimens whereas boron showed no relevant variations in the bulk of the oxide layers investigated. The concentration of both elements decreased rapidly at a significant distance close to the oxide/metal interface. Conclusions were drawn to improve the understanding of the in-reactor corrosion process of fuel rod claddings consisting of zirconium based alloys.     

植物类中药中微量元素的因子分析和聚类分析

尝试利用化学计量学方法探讨微量元素含量与中药药性的相关性。对１０５味植物类中药４２种微量元素测定数据用因子分析和聚类分析进行了多因素分析。因子分析证实了一个１０因子模型合理解释这些微量元素间的相关关系；样本聚类分析证明了１０５株中药合理地聚类成不同组；