LASER ABLATION INSPECTION

摘要

A method and an apparatus of inspecting a sample (12) for presence of a particular substance, in which the surface of the sample is subjected to a pulse of laser radiation from a laser generator (14), via a beam expander (15), a mirror (17) and a focusing lens (18), and so as to cause ablation of a quantity of material from the surface into a plume. The plume is then examined for presence of the substance therein by collecting radiation emitted from the plume using an optical fibre (25) which transmits the radiation to a spectrometer.