Comparative analysis of layered materials using laser-induced plasma spectrometry and laser-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Laser-induced plasma spectrometry (LIPS) and laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LI-TOFMS) have been evaluated for the in-depth analysis of layered materials. LI-TOFMS shares with LIPS important advantages in terms of speed of analysis and negligible sample handling. However, additional features such as real multielemental capabilities and the absence of background contribution must be added to the former. In order to have a useful estimation of the potential of each technique, an in-depth characterized Zn-coated steel has been analyzed. Without complete optimization of the system, the averaged ablation rate has been measured to be in the range 20-30 nm/pulse without beam conditioning or optical modifications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.