EPMA Sputter Depth Profiling: A New Technique for 
Quantitative in-Depth Analysis  of Layered Structures

Karduck, Peter; Richthofen, Alexander von

doi:10.1051/mmm:1995132

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…This mass coverage corresponds to a thickness of 0.1 nm, assuming a density of 5 g cm 3 . The chemical composition of alloys can be determined with a relative accuracy of 5%.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of a heat-insulating coating on floatglass by sputter-assisted EPMA

Richter¹,

Lesch²,

Karduck³

2000

Surf. Interface Anal.

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Heat-insulating coatings on window glass consist of thin metallic films embedded in thin dielectric films. Such multilayer systems are produced commercially by physical vapour deposition in a continuous technique. For process control as well as for the development of new types of multilayer systems, surface-sensitive methods of analysis are essential to characterize the structure of the coatings in terms of the thickness and chemical composition of each layer.The present work reports on the first application of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) in depth profiling of a complex heat-insulating coating on floatglass. It is well known that conventional EPMA is a powerful tool in microbeam analysis to quantify chemical compositions with high accuracy and to detect rather low concentrations even for light elements (B-F). However, the large information depth of x-rays (~0.1-1 µm) limits the applicability to depth profiling.A great step forward in depth profiling in the submicrometre range was achieved by combining EPMA with surface removal by a sputtering procedure. Two various techniques can be applied: measurement of the emitted x-rays by scanning the electron beam across a sputter crater edge; or sputtering the material in situ with an integrated ion gun.In this work we succeeded in quantifying the film thickness (mass coverage) and chemical composition of each single component of the heat-insulating structure. The great advantage of the new method is its ability to determine the depth scale, as well as its remarkable detection limit. For example, in a depth of 100 nm a thin NiCr layer~1 nm thick could be detected. The Ni/Cr ratio of the layer was determined reproducibly to be 85 : 15. The minimal thickness that could have been detected was estimated to be 0.15 nm.

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“…This mass coverage corresponds to a thickness of 0.1 nm, assuming a density of 5 g cm 3 . The chemical composition of alloys can be determined with a relative accuracy of 5%.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of a heat-insulating coating on floatglass by sputter-assisted EPMA

Richter¹,

Lesch²,

Karduck³

2000

Surf. Interface Anal.

Self Cite

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“…By varying the energy of the electron beam, EPMA can be utilised to analyse different layers of the sample. 22 On the other hand, many LIBS instruments are portable and can be used for onsite analysis without needing sample preparation. This makes LIBS one of the best candidates for industrial compositional analysis to improve the quality control process during steel casting.…”

Section: Methodology Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of microscopy techniques to measure segregation in continuous‐cast steel slabs

Al Rafi,

Santillana,

Feng

et al. 2024

Journal of Microscopy

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SummaryThe accurate characterisation of centreline segregation requires precise measurements of composition variations over large length scales (10 ) across the centreline of the cast product, while having high resolution, sufficient to quantify the significant composition variations between dendrites due to microsegregation at very small length scales (10). This study investigates the potential of a novel microscopy technique, named Synchrotron Micro X‐ray Flurorescence (SMXRF), to generate large‐scale high‐resolution segregation maps from a steel sample taken from a thin slab caster. Two methods, Point Analysis and Regression Analysis, are proposed for SMXRF data calibration. By comparing with the traditional Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), and Electron Probe Micro Analyser (EPMA) techniques, we show that SMXRF is successful in quantitative characterisation of centreline segregation. Over large areas (e.g. 12 16 ) and at high resolution (10–50 pixel size) various techniques yield comparable outcomes in terms of composition maps and solute profiles. The findings also highlight the importance of both high spatial resolution and large field of view to have a quantitative, accurate, and efficient measurement tool to investigate segregation phenomena.

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Quantitative Near-Surface Microanalysis and Depth Profiling by EPMA

Karduck

1998

Modern Developments and Applications in Microbeam Analysis

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EPMA Sputter Depth Profiling: A New Technique for Quantitative in-Depth Analysis of Layered Structures

Abstract: Abstract. 2014

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

Characterization of a heat-insulating coating on floatglass by sputter-assisted EPMA

Characterization of a heat-insulating coating on floatglass by sputter-assisted EPMA

Analysis of microscopy techniques to measure segregation in continuous‐cast steel slabs

Quantitative Near-Surface Microanalysis and Depth Profiling by EPMA

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