CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NEO-CERAMIC POWDERS BY TIME-OF-NIGHT ANDFOURIER-TRANSFORM LASER MICROPROBE MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Laser microprobe mass spectrometry (LMMS) aims at the identification o f local organic and inorganic constituents at the surface of solids, T he low mass resolution capabilities of the initially used time-of-flig ht (TOF) mass spectrometers have often proved to be insufficient for i dentification, Therefore, high mass resolution Fourier transform (ET) LMMS was developed, Neo-ceramic powders with oxide or carbide coatings were analyzed by both FT LMMS and TOF LMMS, The data are useful to co mpare the analytical information gained from both methods, Analytical results of these samples by electron microprobe x-ray analysis (EPXMA) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) are discussed to assess th e place of FT LMMS and TOF LMMS in the spectrum of microanalytical tec hniques.