Plasma high-frequency inductively coupled

The limitations stemming from the restricted temperatures of flames led to the development of high-temperature plasma sources for atomic emission spectrometry. The development of high-frequency inductively coupled plasmas and micro-wave plasmas has led to the widespread use of these methods for routine analytical work. 

Near the outlet from the torch, at the end of the concentric tubes, a radio high-frequency coil produces a rapidly oscillating electromagnetic field in the flowing gas. The applied high-frequency field couples inductively with the electric fields of the electrons and ions in the plasma, hence the name inductively coupled plasma or ICP. 

Fig. 1. Typical a.c. plasma systems used for hydrogenation of semiconductor samples. A. In this aparatus, hydrogen is pumped through the quartz tube (Q) and a plasma excited by inductive coupling of 13.56 MHz r.f. power with a copper coil (c2). The sample rests on a graphite block (b) that is heated by 440 KHz power coupled by a second coil (cl). A pyrometer (P) measures the sample temperature. B. In this system, a high frequency oscillator is used for plasma excitation while the sample is heated in a tube furnace (Pearton et al., 1987).

A plasma of electrons, ions, and neutrals produced in gas flowing through concentric tubes is maintained and heated to 5000 to 8000 K by inductive coupling to a high (radio) frequency... 

A discharge ignited in argon and coupled inductively to an external high-frequency electromagnetic field produces a plasma of ions, neutrals, and electrons with a temperature of about 7000 to 10,000°C. Samples introduced into the plasma under these extremely energetic conditions are fragmented into atoms and ions of their constituent elements. These ions are examined by a mass analyzer, frequently a quadrupole instrument. 

Flames and plasmas can be used as atomisation/excitation sources in OES. Electrically generated plasmas produce flame-like atomisers with significantly higher temperatures and less reactive chemical environments compared with flames. The plasmas are energised with high-frequency electromagnetic fields (radiofrequency or microwave energy) or with direct current. By far the most common plasma used in combination with OES for analytical purposes is the inductively coupled plasma (ICP). 

The cross-sectional view of an inductively coupled plasma burner in Figure 21-12 shows two turns of a 27- or 41-MHz induction coil wrapped around the upper opening of the quartz apparatus. High-purity Ar gas is fed through the plasma gas inlet. After a spark from a Tesla coil ionizes Ar, free electrons are accelerated by the radio-frequency field. Electrons collide with atoms and transfer their energy to the entire gas. maintaining a temperature of 6 000 to 10 000 K. The quartz torch is protected from overheating by Ar coolant gas. 

GFAAS = graphite furnace (flameless) atomic absorption spectroscopy TLC = thin layer chromatography HFP-AES = high frequency plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy NAA = neutron atomic analysis ICP-AES = inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy AAS = atomic absorption spectrometry GSE = graphite spectroscopic electrode UV = ultraviolet spectrophotometry PD = photodensitometer and (3,5-diBr-PADAP) = 2(-3,-5-dibromo-2-pyridylazo)-5- diethyl-ami nophenol. 

For glow discharges and inductively coupled high-frequency plasmas ion generation takes place in the plasmas. In the first case mass spectrometry can be performed directly on solids and in the second case on liquids or solids after sample dissolution. In the various atomic spectrometric methods, real samples have to be delivered in the appropriate form to the plasma source. Therefore, in the treatment of the respective methods extensive attention will be given to the techniques for sample introduction. 

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