LASER ABLATION ION-TRAP MASS-SPECTROMETRY - ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF METAL, CERAMIC AND POLYMER SAMPLES

A quadrupole ion trap was used to characterize metallic, ceramic and p olymeric materials by using laser ablation directly inside the storage volume as a sampling and ionization method. A differentially pumped s ample probe was utilized to facilitate sample changes and ion trap ele ctrodes with extended hyperbolic surfaces were used to provide more un iform ion storage fields. The effects of sample surface preparation an d laser fluence were investigated for stainless-steel samples.