Role of electronic partition function in quantitative SIMS using the Saha-Eggert equation

Methods of obtaining the electronic partition functionsZ were discussed with an intention to use them for the Saha-Eggert quantification in SIMS. The Lagrange's interpolation formula and the least-squares method were applied to the published values ofZ to obtain the expression for calculatingZ at arbitrary temperatures. With the aid of the Saha-Eggert equation, the secondary-ion currents from Ni-Cr and Fe-Ni-Cr alloys were converted into the elemental concentrations for the two types ofZ: those obtained with the above methods and those with the approximate fifthorder polynomials presented by de Galan and others. It was proved, from the comparison of the calculated concentrations, that the latter are valid for the quantification in SIMS using the Saha-Eggert equation. The largest error in the elemental concentrations was 22% for the Ni-Cr alloy and 7% for the Fe-Ni-Cr alloy.