Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric study of non-linear calibration behavior during laser ablation of binary Cu-Zn Alloys

Laser ablation behavior of a suite of 10 Cu-Zn binary alloys was studied us ing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Three laser systems (20 n s KrF excimer, 6 ns and 35 ps Nd:YAG) were used for ablation. Non-linear ca libration plots for both Cu and Zn were observed using all three lasers, de spite significant differences in laser ablation mechanisms and good stoichi ometry of ablated mass. Crater volume measurements were used to determine t he amount of mass removed during repetitive laser ablation from each sample . A change in mass ablation rate for samples with different composition exp lains observed phenomena. Despite the differences in ablation behavior of t hese alloys, linear calibration curves were obtained when Zn signal intensi ty was normalized to signal intensity of Cu or to crater volume. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.