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Low‐Energy Ion‐Scattering Spectroscopy of Modified Silicate Glasses
Author(s) -
Almeida Rui M.,
Jain Himanshu,
Pantano Carlo G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/jace.14126
Subject(s) - low energy ion scattering , sputtering , analytical chemistry (journal) , ion , spectroscopy , chemical composition , silicate , materials science , scattering , ternary operation , mineralogy , chemistry , thin film , optics , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , chromatography , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language , physics
Low‐Energy Ion‐Scattering ( LEIS ) spectroscopy is a technique with a unique sensitivity to the elemental composition of the top atomic layer of a solid surface. LEIS measurements of ternary silicate glasses modified with Na 2 O, Cs 2 O, CaO, and BaO show that the compositions of the as‐cast (melt) surface and the in‐vacuum fracture surface often differ. While the as‐cast surface is usually depleted of alkali ions (Na + or Cs + ) compared to the nominal (batch) glass composition, there is often strong accumulation of the same mobile cations on the fresh fracture surface. Depth profiles obtained by sputter etching reveal elemental concentration gradients normal to the glass surface. The final concentrations often fail to reach the nominal glass composition, suggesting the likely presence of preferential sputtering effects and thereby the distortion of the measured concentration gradient. At present, the lack of reliable standards and preferential sputtering effects in the LEIS of multicomponent glasses limit somewhat the absolute chemical composition and structural information that can be obtained with this otherwise unique and powerful method of surface analysis.