OES-Measurements on aluminium, copper and lead samples with a microwave-boosted glow discharge lamp

Abstract A microwave-boosted glow discharge lamp with argon as the plasma gas was used for optical emission spectroscopic (OES) measurements on aluminium, copper and lead samples. The shapes of the craters and the sputtering rates were investigated. Line profiles have been recorded for some elements and compared with those of a conventional lamp. For aluminium samples, the influence of a high zinc content on the signal obtained for magnesium was investigated. Background equivalent concentrations for a number of elements in Al, Cu and Pb were calculated and found to be in the range from 1 to 25 solμg g for aluminium samples, 0.4 to 110 solμg g for copper samples, and 0.4 to 11 solμg g for lead samples if the most sensitive spectral line for each element was used. In the case of copper samples the background equivalent concentrations were compared with those found for a conventional glow discharge lamp.