Abstract

The behavior of a planar magnetron glow discharge used as a sampling device and ion source for mass spectrometry of conducting solids is examined. Low-pressure operation of the magnetron allows efficient sputtering and ion production from conducting samples. Interfacing the magnetron with the mass spectrometer is simplified by low-pressure magnetron operation. A special sample holder allows up to five sample plugs to be analyzed without the source chamber vacuum being broken. Sample ion current is not found to be a simple function of discharge current, but is a strong function of sample axial position relative to the mass spectrometer sampling cone. The mass spectrometer sampling cone orifice diameter may be varied from 0.5 to 5.0 mm. A cone orifice diameter of 2.0 mm yields optimum analytical conditions. Determination of Al at the 3-5% level in a series of NIST Zn-base alloy standards yields a straight-line analytical curve, suggesting the potential application of the device to high-precision analyses of alloys.

Spectroscopic study of a dc gas magnetron discharge

V. I. Miljevic
Appl. Opt. 22(6) 904-907 (1983)

Laser-induced optogalvanic signal oscillations in miniature neon glow discharge plasma

V. K. Saini
Appl. Opt. 52(18) 4404-4411 (2013)

Glow Discharge Resonance

A. B. Stewart
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 45(8) 651-657 (1955)

Helium Level Populations in a Glow Discharge*

William J. Condell
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 50(6) 610-616 (1960)

Spatial Inhomogeneities in the Pulsed Glow Discharge

D. R. Pond and A. Garscadden
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(11) 1565-1567 (1966)