Chemical and Electron Microprobe Analysis of Borophosphosilicate and Phosphosilicate Glasses

Abstract

Chemical and electron microprobe analysis techniques have been applied to the analysis of phosphorus and boron in low pressure chemical vapor deposited glasses on silicon. Borophosphosilicate, phosphosilicate, and borosilicate glasses were studied. An ion chromatographic analysis was developed which determines boron and phosphorus simultaneously, gives rapid analytical turnaround, and is capable of measuring as low as 0.01 weight percent of boron or phosphorus in a typical deposited glass sample. The ion chromatographic analysis also showed that at least two forms of phosphorus are normally present in phosphosilicate and borophosphosilicate glasses, and was able to quantitatively speciate the phosphorus in a glass sample in a single chromatographic run. For total phosphorus and boron in the glasses agreement between the various chemical analyses and the electron microprobe analysis was excellent.