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Imaging microanalysis of ceramic materials with a scanning ion microprobe
Author(s) -
Soni K. K.,
Chabala J. M.,
Mogilevsky R.,
LeviSetti R.,
Zhang K.,
Wolbach W. S.,
Bryan S. R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.740210209
Subject(s) - microprobe , microanalysis , ceramic , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , chemistry , mineralogy , metallurgy , chromatography , organic chemistry
Abstract This article discusses the application of a scanning ion microprobe coupled with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) in the microanalytical characterization of ceramic materials. The high spatial resolution afforded by the microprobe mode, in conjunction with the analytical sensitivity of SIMS, make this technique ideally suited to explore the microchemistry of ceramics, which have complex microstructures and contain several trace and light elements. Two case studies of interface analysis are presented: YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7‐ x superconductors and sintered silicon carbide. Sodium and chlorine impurities were found to segregate to the grain boundaries of melt‐grown YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7‐ x , accompanied by oxygen deficiency. In SiC sintered with Al 2 O 3 , Al was present along the grain boundaries in elemental from and at triple‐grain junctions as Al oxide second phases.