Frequently Asked Questions Surrounding Surface Chemistry Characterization in Aus

Posted by ceriumlabs on March 30th, 2021

If you need surface characterization done, you probably have at least a few questions surrounding the testing. The most common of these include:

What is Surface Characterization in Austin, TX?

To put it as plainly as possible, the surface characterization technique is an incredibly powerful way to quantify surfaces that require testing. Thanks to amazing modern technology, various analytical techniques have been developed to scale down surfaces at the nano level. Surface flaws' detection is immensely necessary to prevent any future damage to the components or machines.

How Does it Work?

There's actually many ways to do it! Many of the techniques used to probe surfaces utilize a beam of ions to strike the surface and "knock off" atoms from the sample material. These atoms are then ionized, identified, and measured using Mass Spectrometry. This isn't the only way surface characterization in Austin, TX can be done, though. Another common technique is Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (ISS). This method does not knock off atoms but rather probes the outermost layer of the surface. If a beam of ions is directed at a sample surface, then a certain number of beam particles will be elastically reflected. Measurement of the energy of the backscattered particles can be used to identify the mass of these atoms. The intensity of the scattered ions provides information to the scientists doing the test in regards to the surface crystallographic structure. The variation in the intensity of the scattered beam is partly due to the shadowing of substrate atoms by adsorbed atoms. By use of scattering theory, knowledge of the sites that the surface atoms occupy can be derived. In other techniques, the surface of the material in question is struck with electrons, like in energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), or X-rays (ESCA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), to measure the resulting electron or photon emissions to probe the sample.

Which Method Should I Choose?

Clearly, you have a lot of options when it comes to surface characterization. If you don't know XPS from TXRF from ISS, you're certainly not alone. The good news is that you don't have to be the one who decides. This brings us to our next question...

Who Does the Testing?

If this all sounds complicated, you're right! Rest assured that there are specialists who do this kind of thing every single day. When they come to a conclusion, they will discuss the analytical results with you in order to provide a clear understanding of how what they found will impact any current or future products. The scientists will also provide a plan of action for quality assurance, process control, and product improvement. You can trust that these experts know exactly what they're talking about!

The surface characterization technique is a most powerful means to quantify surfaces under investigation. Today's top scientists know how important it is to get surface characterization right. They take these tasks extremely seriously and give them the dedication and attention to detail they deserve. If you need this task done, you should feel assured they'll get it right.