The use of the hollow cathode discharge source for the excitation of nonmetals In volume-limited samples is discussed. The effects of breakdown voltage, fill-gas composition, electrode composition, hollow size, sample deposition mode, current, and fill-gas pressure on the emission signal from phosphorus and chlorine are reported. Instrumentation, operation, and sample preparation procedures are described. Temporal profiles of the emission signal from very small samples deposited in the hollow are given for P, Cl, and Se. Detection limits of 9 and 20 pg are reported for P and Cl, respectively.
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