Background and line interference corrections in quantitative GD-OES – New approaches to an old problem

The origin of radiative background in GD-OES is discussed, in connection with the problem of multi-matrix measurements in depth profile analysis. Backed by some experimental evidence in the form of line scans, it is argued that line emission from sample material and the plasma gas (Ar) make up the dominating contributions to the radiative background. The contribution from Ar, in this work termed Matrix-independent Background (MIB), is investigated in more detail. It is shown that, at constant voltage and current, the Ar emission intensity is nearly constant and independent of the pressure, but somewhat matrix-dependent. It is suggested that the MIB can be expressed as a linear function of the intensity of an Ar reference line. This idea is tested experimentally by making intensity measurements on a large set of calibration standards of varying composition. The results are fitted to a calibration function which allows optional definitions of the MIB. It is shown that with a MIB defined as a linear function of the Ar intensity, the different contributions to the spectral background can be more accurately determined than with the MIB defined as a constant.     

ICP emission spectrometer relative response by the branching-ratio method: branching ratios for Fe, Se, Te, Ge and Pd

The relative spectral response of a commercially available inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP) emission spectrometer has been determined over a wide spectral range (approx. 190 to >900 nm) using overlapping sets of radiative branching ratios of several atomic and ionic species. Response curves were determined in two ways. In the first, calibrations were based on Ar II and Ar I lines emitted by Ar-filled hollow-cathode lamps used as line sources instead of the plasma torch. In the second, the ICP emission of selected lines of Ni and Fe was used. Branching ratios determined from the ICP emission of lines of Fe I, Se I, and Te I, using Ar lines for the intensity calibrations, were compared with previously published branching ratios or f-values for these atoms, and good agreement was found. The calibrations based on Ar II and Ni I were used to measure further branching ratios, and application to the measurement of branching ratios from selected levels of Ge I and Pd I is shown.     

Theoretical radiative emission results for argon/copper thermal plasmas

Theoretically determined radiative properties for argon and argon/copper plasmas at one atmosphere, in the temperature range from 3000 to 25000 K, are presented. The spectrum from 0.03 to 25 μm is covered. The spectral emission coefficient, integrated emission coefficient, and net emission coefficient are the properties considered. To determine the limits of the optically thin regime, the intensity for a line-of-sight in an isothermal, homogeneous plasma versus pathlength is compared to the intensity calculated with the optically thin assumption. To obtain information on the dominating emission mechanisms, the fractional contributions of the bound bound (line), free-bound, and free-free emission are shown. To obtain information on the dominating species, plots of the fractional contributions of each of the atom and ion types is presented. Because it is of interest to know how much of the total radiation is in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength region, fractional plots of this are presented too.     

Radiationless processes in a molecular beam: Time resolved emission from benzophenone

In order to study the radiative properties of the isolated benzophenone molecule, a molecular beam of benzophenone is excited by a pulsed nitrogen laser or a pulsed tunable dye laser and the subsequent emission intensity is measured as a function of time. We find the decay to be exponential with a lifetime of about O.5μs. This value is shorter than the radiative lifetime calculated from absorption measurements. As the background pressure in the molecular beam chamber is raised from 10^?6 torr to 10^?4 torr, the decay of the emission lengthens and becomes biexponential. An explanation involving giant self-collision-induced cross sections for intersystem crossing is advanced to reconcile these observations with results from previous studies of benzophenone emission decay.     

Direct determination of arsenic in steel by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry with argon-helium mixed gas.

In glow discharge optical emission spectrometry, an argon-helium mixed gas plasma was investigated to improve the detection sensitivity of arsenic in steel samples. The emission line of arsenic was enhanced and the background intensity was simultaneously reduced when an Ar-He plasma was employed instead of an Ar plasma, which is effective for the sensitive determination of arsenic. The detection limits were calculated to be 0.009 mass% for a 700-V Ar plasma, 0.004 mass% for a 700-V Ar-He plasma, and 0.001 mass% for a 900-V Ar-He plasma.     

大气压射频等离子体化学气相沉积TiO2体系的发射光谱诊断

开展了大气压射频(RF)等离子体化学气相沉积(PCVD)TiO₂放电体系的发射光谱诊断研究, 分别考察了氧气分压、钛酸四异丙酯(TTIP)分压和输入功率对氧原子谱线相对强度、氩原子激发温度、OH振动温度以及转动温度的影响. 结果表明: 随着氧气分压的增加, 氧原子谱线相对强度先迅速增加至峰值后缓慢下降, OH振动温度缓慢增加, 而氩原子激发温度和OH转动温度基本不变. 随着TTIP 分压的增加, 氧原子谱线相对强度下降, 氩原子激发温度没有明显变化, 而OH振动温度和转动温度增加. 随着输入功率的增加, 氧原子谱线相对强度下降, 氩原子激发温度、OH振动温度和转动温度升高.     

Quantitative analysis of trace lead in tin-base lead-free solder by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy in air at atmospheric pressure.

A quantitative analysis of trace lead in tin-base lead-free solder was carried out with laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS). In order to evaluate the applicability of the technique for rapid in situ analytical purposes, measurements were performed in air at atmospheric pressure, and the emission characteristics of the plasma produced by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser over a laser energy range of 10 - 90 mJ were investigated using time-resolved spectroscopy. The experimental results showed that the emission intensity of the analysis line (Pb I 405.78 nm) was maximized at a laser energy of around 30 mJ, and a time-resolved measurement of a spectrum with a delay time of 0.4 micros after the laser pulse was effective for reducing the background continuum. Based on the results, lead-free solder certified reference materials were analyzed for trace lead (concentration 174 - 1940 ppm), and a linear calibration curve was obtained with a detection limit of several tens ppm.     

Characterization of argon metastable species as function of time, space, and current of a pulsed dc glow discharge

Optical measurements performed through an iCCD camera equipped with an optical bandpass filter have been carried out on a pulsed dc glow discharge (GD) in order to study the spatial, temporal, and current dependency of the 1s₅ (³P₂) Ar metastable (Ar*) species. For the spatial and temporal study the pressure was held constant at 1 hPa. The combination of the iCCD camera with the bandpass filter has allowed to acquire time-resolved images of the Ar* in a spatial region between the cathode and the anode. Those measurements have been performed through optical emission and absorption spectroscopy and have shown that the Ar* during the powering phase of the pulsed GD maximize in a spatial region close to the cathode (ca. 1 mm) and that at the end of the pulsed GD, in the so-called afterglow region, the Ar* maximize in a spatial region far from the cathode (between 6–8 mm). Then they reach their maximum intensity within the first 100 μs and decay within 200–250 μs, both after the end of the GD. It has also been observed that the Ar* species increase by increasing current.     

Some spatial effects observed in the axially viewed filament argon microwave induced plasma with solution nebulization

Spatial profiles of analyte emission in an axially viewed argon filament microwave induced plasma sustained in the TE₁₀₁ rectangular cavity have been measured along a discharge tube cross-section for neutral atoms as well as ion lines of several elements. The filament diameter was approximately 1 mm. The analyte solution was introduced by means of an ultrasonic nebulizer without desolvation. The radial emission distribution depends on the operating parameters and is different for each of the analytes examined. Spatial distributions of excitation temperature (4000–6000 K) measured with Ar I lines by the Boltzmann plot method as well as electron temperature (6000–8000 K) by line to continuum emission ratio measurements at Ar I 430 nm and electron number density (1–1.5×10¹⁵ cm⁻³) by the Stark broadening method of the H_β line were determined to support the evidence of plasma processes. In the presence of excess sodium the enhancement of emission intensity and its shift to the plasma center appears to be the result of increased analyte penetration to the plasma. Changes in spatial emission profiles for Ca atoms and ions suggest that for this element ambipolar diffusion may be important as an additional interference mechanism. A possibility of minimizing spectral interferences from argon emission lines by choosing an off-axis plasma region for emission intensity measurements is indicated.     

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering and background light emission coupled with plasmon of single Ag nanoaggregates

We investigated the optical properties of isolated single aggregates of Ag nanoparticles (Ag nanoaggregates) on which rhodamine 6G molecules were adsorbed to reveal experimentally a correlation among plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS), and its background light emission. From the lack of excitation-laser energy dependence of background emission maxima we concluded that the background emission is luminescence, not Raman scattering. The polarization dependence of both SERRS and background emission was the same as that of the lowest-energy plasmon resonance maxima, which is associated with a longitudinal plasmon. From the common polarization dependence, we identified that the lowest-energy plasmon is coupled with both SERRS and background emission. In addition, we revealed that the lowest-energy plasmon with a higher quality factor (Q factor) yields larger SERRS and background emission intensity. Also, we identified that the Q factor dependence of the SERRS intensity was similar to that of the background emission intensity. This similarity directly supported us to demonstrate an enhancement of both SERRS and background emission by coupling with a common plasmon radiative mode.