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 using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Three laser systems (20 ns KrF excimer, 6 ns and 35 ps Nd:YAG) were used for ablation. Non-linear calibration plots for both Cu and Zn were observed using all three lasers, despite significant differences in laser ablation mechanisms and good stoichiometry of ablated mass. Crater volume measurements were used to determine the amount of mass removed during repetitive laser ablation from each sample. A change in mass ablation rate for samples with different composition explains observed phenomena. Despite the differences in ablation behavior of these alloys, linear calibration curves were obtained when Zn signal intensity was normalized to signal intensity of Cu or to crater volume. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.