ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A RADIO-FREQUENCY GLOW-DISCHARGE ATOMIC-EMISSION SOURCE WITH DIELECTRIC SAMPLE ATOMIZATION

A parametric study has been conducted on a radio frequency powered glow discharge atomic emission spectrometry (rf-GD-AES) source to evaluate its performance in the direct analysis of nonconducting solid materials. These experiments include both the emission and electrical characterization of this system with respect to discharge power, pressure, limiting anode orifice diameter, and sample size. The rf-GD-AES source has been demonstrated to operate interchangeably between conducting and nonconducting sample materials; however, the energy dissipated within the plasma appears to be reduced with the dielectric samples, resulting in lower emission intensities and sputtering rates. The power losses have also been found to be a function of the size, or thickness, of the sample materials. Despite these limitations of the system, preliminary emission data demonstrate that the rf-GD-AES system can be successfully employed in the direct, trace analysis of non-conducting sample materials.