Glow Discharge ICP-MS: ELEMENT GD

The Thermo Scientific ELEMENT GD, a combination of a glow discharge ion source with a high resolution mass spectrometer, is the ultimate tool for the direct analysis of conductive material. Almost all elements present in a solid sample, including carbon, oxygen and nitrogen can be detected and quantified routinely – many down to the parts per billion (ppb).

The Thermo Scientific ELEMENT GD is tailored to serve high purity metall manufactures as well as their consumers from industries such as:

• Microelectronic
  – Copper, Aluminum, Sputter Targets
• Aerospace
  – Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium Alloys
• Medical/Pharmaceutical/Food
  – Stainless Steel, Titanium Alloys
• Nuclear
  – Uranium, Nuclear Fuel

With the ELEMENT GD our company combines components of superior attributes in an instrument incomparable in speed, sensitivity and accuracy.

Overview

• Fast Flow Glow Discharge cell
  – Shortest analysis time due to high sputter rates
  – High power ion source for uppermost sensitivity
• State of the art double focusing mass spectrometer
  – Signal to noise ratios enabling sub-ppb detection limits based on high ion transmission combined with low background.
  – Maximum level of selectivity and accuracy due to high mass resolution: a prerequisite for undisputable analytical results
• 12 orders of magnitude automatic detection system
  – Determination of ultra-traces and matrix elements within a single analysis, due to a fully automatic detector with 12 orders linear dynamic range
  – Direct determination of the matrix elements for IBR (Ion Beam Ratio) quantification
• State-of-the-art software suite for productivity and ease-of-use
  – Full computer control of all parameters
  – Fully automated tuning, analysis and data evaluation
  – Automatic LIMS connectivity
  – Remote control and diagnostic
  – Windows XP OS

• Quantitative multi-element analysis across the periodic table
• Less than 10 minutes sample turn-around
• Matrix to ultra-trace detection capabilities in a single analysis
• Depth profiling
• Minimum matrix effects for straightforward quantification

The ELEMENT GD ion source and sample holder is designed for easy sample changeover, offering routine operation and high throughput.

Overview
The ingenious and yet simple design of the Glow Discharge Source reduces sample to sample switching to a fraction of the time it used to be. The sample itself is placed in a vacuum chamber, completely eliminating any risk of leaking between the sample and the GD cell (Figure 2). The sample holder can quickly and easily be removed from the ion source, simply unloaded and re-loaded, and repositioned for the next measurement (Figure 3). Opening and closing of the ion source manifold is fully automatic.