Glow Discharge as a Tool for Surface and Interface Analysis

Abstract

This review article focuses on the analytical capabilities of glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD‐OES) and mass spectrometry (GD‐MS) to perform compositional depth profiling (GD‐CDP). The properties of the Grimm‐type glow discharge as well as basic processes of sputtering are described and their influence on the GD as a surface and interface analytical tool are discussed. A series of examples from recent literature ranging from computer hard disks to molecular monolayers on copper substrates are presented to illustrate the excellent depth resolution that can be achieved with GD surface analytical techniques. The conditions for obtaining nanometer or even atomic‐layer depth resolution are discussed. Following this introduction is the possibilities of the technique a selection of applications principally chosen from our laboratories, demonstrating that GD‐OES and GD‐MS can be successfully employed as an analytical tool assisting the development of new materials and coatings. The applications cover common industrial tasks such as heat treatments, studies of diffusion processes at interfaces, and electrochemical depositions for biocompatible material. However, limitations and known artifacts are also discussed.