Analyses of Modified Glass Surfaces Webinar

In the full webinar we will focus on analyses of modified glass surfaces and thin coatings using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS).

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) is a unique technique often used to investigate the elemental profile of solid materials with depth. SIMS has the sensitivity to detect parts per billion concentrations as well as to quantify atomic percent level matrix compositions. Layers of several nanometers to micrometers thickness can be characterized using proper SIMS analytical protocols. This ability to profile >6 orders of magnitude concentration and thickness (or depth) ranges has made SIMS the routine technique for in-depth chemical characterization for variety of materials, including inter-diffusion and impurity analyses of 1-2nm layers in low-e glass coatings. Examples of low-e film stack changes with variety of processes will be shown.

Beam induced migration of the alkalis, especially Na and Li, in oxide thin films and bulk glass have made it difficult to acquire accurate concentration depth profiles by any surface analytical technique. However, carefully set up SIMS analyses can provide accurate glass composition analyses of modified glass surfaces, even for layers as thin as 10nm. This ability has been successfully applied to analyses of pharmaceutical glass containers for delamination studies, and it can be used as a fast durability check. Examples of glass vial surface composition changes with variety of leaching solutions will be shown.

Often complementary surface analytical techniques are necessary for complete investigation of coatings on glass. These usually are higher resolution supplemental data using Auger Electron Spectrometry or Transmission Electron Microscopy.