Description
1st Paragraph: In addition to elemental characterization of bulk materials, glow discharge spectrometry (GDS) is useful for compositional depth profiling of surface layers ranging from just a few nanometers up to 100 micrometers. In contrast to many other depth profiling techniques, these analyses can take place in just a few minutes (or even seconds) and data are representative of a nominal 4-mm diameter area. Because this entire area is measured simultaneously as a function of depth, uniform removal of material across the surface is necessary for accurate measurements and optimal depth resolution. For each application developed, idealized current, voltage, and pressure parameters are developed to generate such a surface.
Authors: Andrew P. Storey, Diane E. Goodman, David B. Coulston, Kim A. Marshall, and Greg D. Schilling
Keywords: Glow Discharge, Depth Profiling, Metallography, Digital Microscopy