Abstract

An ion-sputtering source was installed and evaluated as an emission spectrographic source for the analysis of metal surfaces and for the determination of in-depth concentration profiles. This source generates a direct current glow discharge in a low-pressure argon atmosphere between a hollow stainless-steel anode and the sample (the cathode) and sputters material at a controlled rate from the sample surface. The resultant spectrum of the sputtered material is recorded photographically, and the analysis is completed by conventional spectrographic techniques. The power supply of the source can be operated in either a constant dc mode or a square-wave dc mode, but better repeatability and accuracy have been achieved with the square-wave dc mode. Before any significant sputtering occurs with this source, the voltage must exceed 240 Volts, the threshold sputtering voltage. The sputtering rate increases with both source current and voltage. This source has been used for the quantitative analysis of the surface of steel products and the determination of changes in composition with depth below the surface.

A Hollow Cathode Source Applicable to Spectrographic Analysis for the Halogens and Gases*

J. Rand McNally, George R. Harrison, and Eugene Rowe
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 37(2) 93-98 (1947)

Continuous discharge Penning source with emission lines between 50 Å and 300 Å

David S. Finley, Stuart Bowyer, Francesco Paresce, and Roger F. Malina
Appl. Opt. 18(5) 649-654 (1979)

Effect of argon pressure on the optical properties of sputtered solar selective surfaces

S. Craig and G. L. Harding
Appl. Opt. 22(4) 583-586 (1983)

Evolution mechanism of surface roughness during ion beam sputtering of fused silica

Mingjin Xu, Yifan Dai, Lin Zhou, Xiaoqiang Peng, Shaoshan Chen, and Wenlin Liao
Appl. Opt. 57(20) 5566-5573 (2018)

A Method of Spectrographic Analysis of Impurities in Materials for Oxide Coating of Thermionic Cathodes*

T. J. Organ and S. L. Parsons
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 38(2) 191-195 (1948)