Trace element determination of high-purity chemicals for the processing of semiconductors with high-resolution ICP mass spectrometry using stable isotope dilution analysis (IDA)

The demand for trace element analysis in many fields of application has significantly increased in the last few years. Accuracy is fundamental to analysis and the importance of accurate measurements is widely accepted. Yet most instrumental analytical methods are relative methods and accuracy is established by using certified reference materials for method validation and calibration or by use of a definitive method as isotope dilution analysis (IDA). In this work a new high-resolution ICP mass spectrometer Finnigan MAT ''ELEMENT'', which provides mass spectral resolution of 300 up to 7500 and thus eliminates most of the spectral interferences quadrupol mass analyzers are suffering from, is applied in combination with IDA to evaluate the capabilities of these techniques to the accurate determination of element traces in processing chemicals for semiconductor production.