QUANTITATIVE DEPTH PROFILE ANALYSIS BY GLOW-DISCHARGE OPTICAL-EMISSION SPECTROMETRY - AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH

A new approach to quantitative depth profile analysis by glow discharg e optical emission spectrometry is presented, based on the approximati on of matrix-independent emission yields. In this approach, the sputte ring rate corrected calibration is calculated directly from the raw ca libration data using a multi-element calibration algorithm. This makes it possible to use for calibration bulk reference samples only those matrices that are to be analysed, without the need to determine their sputtering rates beforehand. Much less a priori information is needed in comparison with other existing quantification schemes; any glow dis charge source anode diameter and any glow discharge operating conditio ns can be used. The accuracy of the sample composition determination a pproaches that of the single-matrix ('bulk mode') analysis.