Wavelength Scanning with a Tilting Interference Filter for Glow-Discharge Elemental Imaging

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Glow discharges are established for solid sample analysis.
• Existing methods for lateral elemental distribution mapping face challenges in optical throughput and instrumental complexity.
• Surface elemental mapping is crucial for understanding material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel tilting-filter instrument for surface elemental mapping using pulsed glow discharge.
• To address limitations of existing techniques, specifically optical throughput and instrumental complexity.
• To demonstrate the instrument's capability in analyzing spatially resolved glow-discharge emission.

Main Methods:

• A pulsed glow discharge was coupled to an optical system featuring an adjustable-angle tilting filter, collimating and imaging lenses, and a gated, intensified charge-coupled device (CCD) camera.
• The tilting-filter spectrometer was designed for instrumental simplicity, reduced image distortion, and higher optical throughput.
• The instrument was characterized and evaluated for spatially resolved analysis of glow-discharge emission from representative solid samples.

Main Results:

• The tilting-filter spectrometer offers improved optical throughput and simpler instrumentation compared to monochromator-based systems.
• The instrument is effective for single-element or two-element determinations within a specific spectral range.
• Spectral interferences from impurities can be identified and managed by analyzing the spatially resolved signal across the tunable spectral range.

Conclusions:

• The tilting-filter instrument provides a viable and simpler alternative for surface elemental mapping using glow discharge.
• This technique enhances elemental analysis by improving optical efficiency and reducing instrumental complexity.
• The method is particularly useful for specific elemental determinations where spectral lines are accessible and resolvable.