Sample Type

Characteristic

Sensitivity

Available Techniques

Solid - Bulk

Composition

from major down to 0.1%

Electron Microprobe (EMP);

Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX);

Wavelength Dispersive X-ray (WDX)

X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)

Solid - Bulk

Crystal Structure

---

X-ray Diffraction;

Electron Diffraction

Solid -Bulk

Trace Impurities

ppm, ppb

Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS);

Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometer (GDMS);

Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA);

Sputtered Neutral Mass Spectrometry (SNMS);

Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE);

Laser Emission Microprobe (LEM),

Spark Source Mass Spectrometer (SSMS)

Solid - Bulk

Localized Defects/Impurities

---

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM);

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM);

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM)

Solid - Surface

Composition

from major down to 0.1%

Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA);

Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)

Solid - Surface

Composition

trace

Surface SIMS;

Ion Scattering Spectrometry (ISS)

Solid - Surface

Structure

---

TEM;

Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED)

Solid - Film

Composition Vs. Depth

from major down to 0.1%

AES; ESCA;

Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS);

Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP)

Solid - Film

Composition Vs. Depth

trace

SIMS; SNMS; NDP

Solid - Film

Structure

---

X-ray Diffraction; TEM

Solid - Film

Thickness

< 1 micron

RBS; TEM

Liquid

Composition, Inorganic

trace

AA;

Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP)

Liquid

Composition, Inorganic

ultratrace

ICP/Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Liquid

Composition, Organic

from major down to trace

Gas Chromatography (GC); GC/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS);

IR Spectroscopy (IR);

Fourier Transform IR (FTIR) Analysis

Liquid

Thermal Properties

---

Thermal Analyzers

Gas

Composition

from major down to trace

GC; GC/MS; IR; gas sensors; MS