Abstract

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) are applied to the chemical characterization of boron nitride coatings with additional concentrations (1–20 at%) of H, C, O and Ar. Quantitative analysis of homogeneous films with a film thickness >0.3 μm is carried out by conventional “bulk” EPMA with an accuracy of about 5% relative. A similar degree of accuracy is obtained for the simultaneous determination of film thickness (0.1–0.5 μm) and composition (“thin film” EPMA). SIMS based on monitoring MCs+ molecular secondary ions is demonstrated as a useful scheme for quantitative in-depth analysis of matrix elements. In the case of BN (H, C, O, Ar) materials a single standard (e.g., defined by EPMA) is sufficient to establish a set of matrix-independent relative sensitivity factors. The accuracy of quantitative analysis by MCs+-SIMS proves to be 10–20% relative without being influenced by matrix effects arrising from variable (1–20 at%) oxygen concentrations.

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