Radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy - Depth profiling analysis of thin anodic alumina films as potential reference materials

The need for reference materials that can be applied in, the area of thin (<10 mum) films analysis has long been realized but is still, in general, under-addressed. Alumina films of single-micrometer thickness, having either fine distributions of impurities or delta function impurity marker layers, can be prepared routinely by anodic oxidation of electropolished aluminum specimens in appropriate electrolytes. Selected films were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and analyzed by radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (rf-GD-OES), providing very rapid, yet high-resolution, depth-resolved analysis of these electrically insulating materials.