Ion induced surface compositional changes of α brass; a comparative study by AES and sputtered thermal ion mass spectrometry. Application to quantitative AES

Surface concentrations and sputtered‐off atom concentrations of α brass are measured during ion bombardment, respectively by Auger spectroscopy and by a new quantitative sputtered thermal ion mass spectrometry method. A new formulation of the problem of surface composition change is proposed which leads to a definition of matrix effect coefficients, sputter elemental yields and a sputter correction factor μ, connecting surface concentrations to sputtered‐off atom concentrations. Implications in quantitative analysis by Auger spectroscopy or any mass spectrometry technique are discussed.