Problem
Surface contamination: identifying what is there
Contamination questions come down to what the residue is, and whether it sits in the outermost nanometres or forms a thicker film. Surface-sensitive methods answer different parts of that question, and an affected sample compared with a clean reference is almost always needed.
What usually has to be established
- Whether the residue is organic, inorganic or a changed oxide
- How thick it is, and whether it covers the whole surface or only spots
- How the affected area differs from a clean reference
Measurements
Where an investigation often starts.
A typical sequence, not a prescription. The Field Agent adapts it to your sample, what you observed and the decision the result must support.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopyStart here
Measures the elements and their chemical states in the top few nanometres, so it shows whether a surface is oxidised, carries a residue or has a thin foreign layer.
Time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometryFor traces and molecules
Very surface-sensitive mass spectrometry that detects trace species and molecular fragments and maps them across the surface. Quantities need matched standards.
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopyFor organic residues
Can help identify organic residues such as oils, polymers or release agents. Thin or dilute residues may be missed; sensitivity depends on sampling mode, substrate and material.
What to have ready
- An affected sample and a clean reference, handled with gloves and packed in clean containers
- What the surface has been through: cleaning, storage, packaging and handling
- Suspected sources, such as lubricants, silicones, fingerprints or process chemicals
- Whether the affected area is visible, and how large it is
Potential Dutch, Belgian and German facilities
84 facilities publish at least one of these measurements in Aachen, Brussels, Enschede, Freiburg, Berlin, Dresden, Ghent, Groningen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Louvain-la-Neuve, Namur, Nijmegen, Noordwijk, Rudolstadt, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Aschaffenburg, Augsburg, Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Bochum, Brandenburg an der Havel, Braunschweig, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Coburg, Darmstadt, Delft, Denkendorf, Deventer, Diepholz, Eindhoven, Emden, Frankfurt (Oder), Freiberg, Fürth, Geisenheim, Geleen, Greifswald, Hannover, Heidelberg, Hof, Ilmenau, Jena, Karlsruhe, Lemgo, Maastricht, Mainz, Mittweida, Mons, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Münster, Oberhausen, Offenburg, Paderborn, Potsdam, Schmalkalden, Siegen, Sonneberg, Vianen, Weißandt-Gölzau, Wildau, Wismar and Zwickau.
Leads are based on published capabilities; current suitability and availability must be confirmed with the laboratory.
Describe your sample and question. The first answer is free and needs no account; laboratory names are shown in a free workspace.