Student practical training / Master theses / Diploma theses / Compulsory internship / Volunteer internship

Nonconductive mineralogical samples, to be analysed by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) for ultratrace elements must be coated by a very thin conductive layer to prevent charging. Gold is used in most instances due to its high purity. For ultratrace element determination in the field of mineral and metallic resources we try to avoid a contamination of the sample chamber by gold. Consequently other materials on the basis of doped ultrapure silicon have to be tested for their suitability.
The thesis is focused on the basic feasibility of such coatings and the characterization of the coating regarding evenness, coating thickness, and electrical conductivity.
The coating experiments and the characterization will be systematically conducted for several groups of minerals like sulfides, oxides and silicates.

Diploma or Master's thesis for earth scientist (mineralogy or geochemistry), analytical chemistry or physics:

you are interested in mineralogical / crystal chemical problems
you are interested in modern analytical techniques
initiative and good teamwork skills