Data and device protection: A ToF‐SIMS,wetting, and XPS study of an Apple iPod nano

An important aspect of the robustness of an electronic device is its ability to resist water, fingerprints, dirt, and smudges that may compromise its ability to function and/or the information within it. Here, we report a chemical analysis by ToF‐SIMS, wetting, and XPS of the surfaces in a commercially available Apple iPod nano (8GB, MC525LL/A), which showed good resistance to its environment. This analysis reveals that the front panel (touchscreen) of the device is coated with a low free energy fluorinated polymer that may consist of short segments of a fluorinated hydrocarbon connected through ether linkages. No other part of the device appears to have this hydrophobic coating. A plasma treatment of the device leads to a deterioration of its performance. This work demonstrates how different analytical techniques can complement each other and contribute to a better understanding of a surface or a material. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigations of touchscreen glasses from mobile phones for retrospective and accident dosimetry

Touchscreen glasses of mobile phones are sensitive to ionizing radiation and have the potential of usage as an emergency dosimeter for retrospective dosimetry for the purpose of triage after a radiological accident or attack. In this study the TL glow curves and dosimetric properties of touchscreen glasses were studied in detail, such as intrinsic background dose, dose response, reproducibility, optical stability and long-term stability of the TL signal.Preliminary results are additionally presented to minimize the intrinsic background dose by mechanically removing the surface layer of the glass samples. Additionally chemical element analyses of the touchscreen glass samples were carried out to investigate the difference between glass samples which show a TL signal and samples which show neither an intrinsic zero dose signal nor a radiation induced TL signal.An irradiation trial using glass samples stored in the dark demonstrated a successful dose recovery. However, when applying a realistic, external light exposure scenario, dose underestimation was observed, even though samples were pre-bleached prior to measurement. More investigations have to be carried out in the future to solve the challenge of the low optical stability of the TL signal, if touchscreen glasses are to be used as a reliable emergency dosimeter.