Quantitative Analysis and Band Gap Determination for CIGS Absorber Layers Using Surface Techniques

Recently, Cu(InXGa(1−X))Se2 (CIGS) absorber layers have been extensively studied by many research groups for thin-film solar cell technology. CIGS material is particularly promising due to its exceptionally high absorption coefficient and large band gap range, which is adjustable as a function of alloy stoichiometry. To enhance the conversion performance of CIGS solar cells, understanding the CIGS structure and composition is a crucial challenge. We conducted a quantitative study to determine the bulk composition of the major elements such as Cu, In, Ga, and Se of four different CIGS photovoltaic cells. The compositional information was obtained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (fs-LA-ICP-MS). Then, the XRF concentration ratio was compared with the intensity ratio of fs-LA-ICP-MS to investigate the potential of accurate and rapid analysis using the fs-LA-ICP-MS technique. In contrast to the bulk information, the surface techniques can supply detailed information about the chemical composition across the depth profile. Here, elemental depth distributions of CIGS thin films were investigated using magnetic sector secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The atomic distributions of four different CIGS absorber layers exhibited a good agreement although they were obtained using two different surface instruments, AES and SIMS. Comparative analysis results of different CIGS absorber layers using SIMS, AES, and fs-LA-ICP-MS provide us with the appropriate technique for the information of accurate composition in a rapid analysis time. Thanks to a simple approach using the Ga/(In + Ga) ratio, the optical band gap energy of the Cu(InXGa(1−X))Se2 quaternary layer was monitored in the entire CIGS layer. The elemental distribution and the band gap determination were then used to elucidate their relationship to the corresponding CIGS cell efficiency result.

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An improved U–Pb age dating method for zircon and monazite using 200/266 nm femtosecond laser ablation and enhanced sensitivity multiple-Faraday collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry ◽

10.1039/c4ja00257a ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 494-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Jun-Ichi Kimura ◽

Qing Chang ◽

Keita Itano ◽

Tsuyoshi Iizuka ◽

Bogdan Stefanov Vaglarov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Laser Ablation ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Femtosecond Laser Ablation ◽

Age Dating ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Enhanced Sensitivity ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽

Dating Method

High precision U–Pb dating using multiple Faraday collectors has become available in LA-MC-ICP-MS.

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Trace elemental distribution in soil and compost-derived humic acid molecular fractions and colloidal organic matter in municipal wastewater by flow field-flow fractionation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (flow FFF-ICP-MS)

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry ◽

10.1039/b102625a ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. 978-986 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Dula Amarasiriwardena ◽

Atitaya Siripinyanond ◽

Ramon M. Barnes

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

Elemental Distribution ◽

Field Flow Fractionation ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Trace Elemental ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry

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Color measurement of yellow sapphire by UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy

Journal of Physics Conference Series ◽

10.1088/1742-6596/2145/1/012062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2145 (1) ◽

pp. 012062

Author(s):

N Tipkanon ◽

N Monarumit ◽

T Lhuaamporn ◽

W Wongkokua

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽

Color Measurement ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Breakdown Spectroscopy ◽

Yellow Color ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Laser Induced Breakdown

Abstract Yellow sapphire is a gemstone variety of corundum (Al2O3). The yellow color is commonly caused by Fe3+ impurity substituting for Al3+ in the Al2O3 structure. The depth of yellow color is linked to Fe3+ concentration. The higher content of Fe3+ produces a deeper yellow color. However, there is low content of the impurity such as Be2+ in cooperating with the low content of Fe3+ to produce the yellow color in yellow sapphires. It is difficult to differentiate between the natural yellow sapphire caused by high Fe3+ content and the beryllium-treated yellow sapphire by naked eyes. Some advanced techniques to identify the Be heat-treated yellow sapphire have been practiced such as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). We measured the colors of naturals and beryllium-treated yellow sapphires by UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy. The concentration of impurities in the sapphire samples was measured by the LA-ICP-MS technique. To compare the yellow colors of CIE L * a * b * and CIE L * C * h, we found that the lightness and hue values of the Be-treated yellow sapphires were higher than the natural yellow sapphires with high Fe3+ content.

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Determination of anionic groups in wood by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Holzforschung ◽

10.1515/hf.2010.002 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Elena N. Tokareva ◽

Andrey V. Pranovich ◽

Paul Ek ◽

Bjarne Holmbom

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Cell Walls ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Alkaline Treatment ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Tof Sims ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽

Anionic Groups

Abstract A novel method for labelling of anionic groups on wood surfaces was developed and applied to spruce and aspen wood sections in the native state, and after acid washing and alkaline treatment. The metal ions Mg2+, Cu2+, Sr2+, and Zn2+ were used as markers and their patterns of attachment to anionic groups were assessed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Sr2+ was found to be a very suitable marker for labelling of anionic groups. In addition to ToF-SIMS, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used for semi-quantitative analysis of labelled anionic groups in wood samples. ToF-SIMS imaging of Sr2+-labelled anionic groups revealed abundant anionic groups in bordered pit tori and ray parenchyma cell walls in spruce wood. LA-ICP-MS revealed that the relative concentration of Sr2+ in tori of bordered pits was approximately eight-fold higher than in fibre cell walls. After alkaline treatment the concentration of anionic groups in the fibre cell wall was approximately three-fold higher than in the original acid-washed spruce. In aspen wood, anionic groups were located mainly in pits between vessels and contact ray parenchyma cells, in ray cell walls and in certain fibre wall layers.

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Ultra-Trace Element Analysis of NIST SRM 616 and 614 using Laser Ablation Microprobe-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LAM-ICP-MS): a Comparison with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research ◽

10.1111/j.1751-908x.1997.tb00670.x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 191-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

Ingo Horn ◽

Richard W. Hinton ◽

Simon E. Jackson ◽

Henry P. Longerich

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Trace Element Analysis ◽

Element Analysis ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽

Ultra Trace ◽

Secondary Ion

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Further Characterization of the BB Zircon via SIMS and MC-ICP-MS for Li, O, and Hf Isotopic Compositions

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min9120774 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 774 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Chao Huang ◽

Hao Wang ◽

Jin-Hui Yang ◽

Lie-Wen Xie ◽

Yue-Heng Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Reference Material ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Isotopic Ratio ◽

Lithium Isotope ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

O Isotope

In this contribution, we report the results for the characterization of the BB zircon, a newly developed zircon reference material from Sri Lanka, via secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). The focus of this work was to further investigate the applicability of the BB zircon as a reference material for micro-beam analysis, including Li, O, and Hf isotopes. The SIMS analyses reveal that BB zircon is characterized by significant localized variations in Li concentration and isotopic ratio, which makes it unsuitable as a lithium isotope reference material. The SIMS-determined δ18O values are 13.81‰ ± 0.39‰ (2SD, BB16) and 13.61‰ ± 0.40‰ (2SD, BB40), which, combined with previous studies, indicates that there is no evidence of conspicuous O isotope heterogeneity within individual BB zircon megacrysts. The mean 176Hf/177Hf ratio of BB16 determined by solution MC-ICP-MS is 0.281669 ± 0.000012 (2SD, n = 29) indistinguishable from results achieved by laser ablation (LA)-MC-ICP-MS. Based on the SIMS and MC-ICP-MS data, BB zircon is proposed as a reference material for the O isotope and Hf isotope determination.

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The Role of Nanoanalytics in the Development of Organic-Inorganic Nanohybrids—Seeing Nanomaterials as They Are

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano9121673 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 1673 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daria Semenova ◽

Yuliya E. Silina

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Ionization Mass ◽

Mechanical Instability ◽

Hybrid Nanomaterials ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Application Fields

The functional properties of organic-inorganic (O-I) hybrids can be easily tuned by combining system components and parameters, making this class of novel nanomaterials a crucial element in various application fields. Unfortunately, the manufacturing of organic-inorganic nanohybrids still suffers from mechanical instability and insufficient synthesis reproducibility. The control of the composition and structure of nanosurfaces themselves is a specific analytical challenge and plays an important role in the future reproducibility of hybrid nanomaterials surface properties and response. Therefore, appropriate and sufficient analytical methodologies and technical guidance for control of their synthesis, characterization and standardization of the final product quality at the nanoscale level should be established. In this review, we summarize and compare the analytical merit of the modern analytical methods, viz. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), RAMAN spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and several mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques, that is, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), single particle ICP-MS (sp-ICP-MS), laser ablation coupled ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) utilized for characterization of O-I nanohybrids. Special attention is given to laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) as a reliable nanoanalytical platform for characterization of O-I hybrid nanomaterials, their quality, design verification and validation.

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Direct U–Pb dating of carbonates from micron-scale femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry images using robust regression

Geochronology ◽

10.5194/gchron-3-67-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 67-87

Author(s):

Guilhem Hoareau ◽

Fanny Claverie ◽

Christophe Pecheyran ◽

Christian Paroissin ◽

Pierre-Alexandre Grignard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Laser Ablation ◽

Femtosecond Laser ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Goodness Of Fit ◽

Robust Regression ◽

Femtosecond Laser Ablation ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract. Uranium–lead (U–Pb) dating of carbonates by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) spot analysis is an increasingly used method in the field of geosciences, as it brings very strong constraints over the geological history of basins, faults or reservoirs. Most ages currently published are based on the measurement of U and Pb ratios on spot ablations, using nanosecond lasers coupled to sector field or multi-collector ICP-MS. Here, we test a new strategy for the U–Pb dating of carbonates from 2D isotopic ratio maps, based on the use of a robust regression approach in the data reduction workflow. The isotopic maps, with a minimum area of 0.65 mm2 (∼ 1000 pixels of 13×25 µm resolution), are obtained using a 257 nm femtosecond laser ablation system at a high repetition rate (500 Hz) coupled to a high-resolution ICP-MS. The maps commonly show significant variations in isotope ratios at the pixel scale, allowing the plotting of pixel U–Pb ratios in concordia or isochron diagrams and the calculation of U–Pb ages. Due to the absence of individual ratio uncertainties, the ages are calculated using MM-robust linear regression rather than the more commonly used York-type regression. The goodness of fit to the data is assessed by the calculation of the residual standard error (RSE) of the regression and by the calculation of a mean square of weight deviates (MSWD) on discretised data. Several examples are provided that compare the ages calculated by robust regression with those obtained by other techniques (e.g. isotope dilution, LA-ICP-MS spot analyses and the pixel-pooling approach). For most samples, characterised by high U concentrations (> 1 ppm), robust regression allows for the calculation of ages and uncertainties similar to those obtained with the other approaches. However, for samples with lower U concentrations (< 0.5 ppm), the ages obtained are up to 10 % too young due to pixels with high U ∕ Pb acting as leverage points for the regression. We conclude that the U–Pb ages calculated by the regression method tested here, although statistically robust, should be critically analysed before validation, especially for samples with low U concentrations.

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Rapid analysis of 90Sr in cattle bone and tooth samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry ◽

10.1039/d1ja00086a ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kazuma Koarai ◽

Makoto Matsueda ◽

Jo Aoki ◽

Kayo Yanagisawa ◽

Motoki Terashima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Rapid Analysis ◽

Mass Shift ◽

Extraction Techniques ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽

Shift Technique

Rapid analysis of 90Sr in bone and tooth samples of cattle was conducted by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled with mass-shift and solid-phase extraction techniques. The mass-shift technique...

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