“HFM”, the universal sputter method in SNMS analytics

For the analysis of surfaces with poor conductivity the use of the “direct current sputter process”, usual in SNMS, produces unreproducible depth profiles with often widened transition widths. An efficient method for eliminating static charging in the case of non-coducting samples is the use of a high-frequency discharge. By comparison of the direct current mode with high frequency mode it is shown, that the use of SNMS with HF sputtering is the universal analysis method for most matrices, technical surfaces as well as oxidic materials. For non-conducting or poorly conducting samples, however, matrix-adjusted factors are to be used.