Process and apparatus for real-time determination of a solid sample composition as a function of the depth within the sample

摘要

Process and apparatus for real-time determination of a solid sample composition as a function of the depth within the sample. The process comprises : (a) forming a glow discharge (16) of atoms sputtered from an exposed area (17) of the sample (13) and analysing the glow discharge by optical emission spectroscopy; (b) measuring the distance between said exposed area (17) and a fixed reference surface (12a) and determining from the measured distance the depth of the exposed area within the sample ; and (c) correlating the determined depth of the exposed area with the glow discharge analysis. Application to material analysis.