Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

1 Publication

In-house reference materials for the determination of low titanium concentration in SiO2 by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Ziegenrücker, R.; Belokonov, G.; Böttger, R.; Couffignal, F.; Munnik, F.; Renno, A.; Wiedenbeck, M.; Wu, H. S.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is routinely used for geochemical and mineralogical applications, but quantification is still the major challenge of this method. Each analysed matrix needs its own matrix-matched reference material (RM). However, the list of available reference materials is short compared to the needs.

One approach for the production of suitable RMs is the use of ion implantation to introduce a known amount of an isotope into a matrix-matched material. This is widely used for SIMS applications in materials science, but rarely for geochemical problems. Bumett et al. (2014) [1] demonstrated the principal appropriateness and ways to calibrate nominal implant fluence. We choose the more elaborate way of implanting a box profile to allow an effectivly homogeneous distribution of the respective isotope in all three dimensions.

Silicon dioxide SiO2, a “simple” mineralogical and chemical system, can record scientificly important data e.g. the Ti-in-quartz geothermometer [2, 3]. 47Ti respectively 48Ti were implanted into synthetic ultra-high purity silica glass. Box profiles with concentrations between 10 and 1000 ppm and a maximum depth of homogeneous 47/48Ti distribution between 200 and 500 nm were produced at the Ion Beam Center in Dresden-Rossendorf. Single implantation steps with different ion-energies and –doses were simulated with the SRIM (Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter) software [4] and optimized to the target concentrations, implantation-depths and technological limitations of the implanter.

Several different implanted test-samples were characterized by means of SIMS, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and other analytical techniques. These showed that Ti is homogeneously distributed in the glass structure within ± 5% uncertainty in all 3 dimensions, while the surface-roughness remains suitable for SIMS depth profiling.

Such reference materials are also very promising for the quantification of Super-SIMS measurements [5].

[1] Bumett, D.S., et al. (2014). Ion Implants as Matrix-Appropriate Calibrators for Geochemical Ion Probe Analyses. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 39(3), 265-276.
[2] Wark, D. A., Watson E. B. (2006). TitaniQ: a titanium-in-quartz geothermometer. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 152(6), 743-754.
[3] Thomas, J. B., Watson E. B., et al. (2010). TitaniQ under pressure: the effect of pressure and temperature on the solubility of Ti in quartz. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 160(5), 743–759.
[4] Ziegler, J. F. (2004). SRIM-2003. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B, 219-220, 1027-1036.
[5] Rugel, G., et al, this conference.

Keywords: Implantation; SIMS; Titanium; Quartz; Quarz; Reference material; Referenz Material

Related publications

  • Poster
    Ion Beam Physics Workshop 2019, 24.-26.06.2019, Dresden, Germany

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-29310
Publ.-Id: 29310