Instrumental neutron activation analysis of high-purity gallium,arsenic, and gallium arsenide

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been applied to obtain useful data on impurity concentrations in ultra-pure materials whose matrix elements are strongly activated and create severe interference for several weeks after irradiation. An analytical procedure has been developed and used to determine Sc, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Zr, Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Te, and Hg in high-purity gallium, arsenic, and gallium arsenide. Detection limits ranged from 50 ng/g for iron to 0.001 ng/g for scandium. Problems of contamination control, blank level, and standardization are discussed.