Physical Methods for the Microanalysis of Solids—General Significance,Recent Developments,and Limitations

The characterization of solid systems by physical methods (“physical analysis”) is one of the most important future-orientated areas of analytical chemistry. Important developments are the increase of the informational content of analytical signals by application of mathematical methods, the investigation of extremely small amounts (microanalysis), as well as concentrations (trace analysis). New developments in analytical methodology and strategy in micro and surface analysis permit, for example, the direct identification of compounds in individual phases in the solid state, the quantitative elemental analysis of aerosol particles in the submicrometer region (identification of asbestos fibers), and highly sensitive distribution analysis of trace elements in semiconductors. Important technological-scientific problems can be explained in this way.