X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy or XPS or ESCA:
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Quantitative elemental composition of surface contamination
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Surface chemistry with complete chemical phase identification
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Extremely high sensitivity with an analysis depth of 8nm and sensitivity for less than 0.1 monatomic layer
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Verification of surface cleanliness
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Surface chemistry changes caused by cleaning agents, both improvements and residues left
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Ion sputter gun removal of surface contamination to judge its thickness
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Quantitative elemental and chemical phase identification of interfacial contamination after adhesive failure, peel, or pull test
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Interphase chemistry of interfaces with adhesive bonding - adhesives often have different compositions near interfaces
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Depth profile through thin layers at a surface for elemental analysis as a function of depth
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Analyze residues left after evaporating water or other solvents
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Identify plasticizers, fire retardants, and cross-linking agents in polymers or plastics
FTIR or Infrared Spectroscopy:
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Identification of organic functional groups and some inorganic functional groups in thicker contaminant layers using ATR or specular reflectance for greater surface sensitivity
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Bulk or near-surface organic material composition for comparison to surface organic composition
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Identify plasticizer or fire-retardant segregated to the surface of a plastic/polymer material
Microscopic Examinations:
Effect of interfacial contamination on adhesion to the interface using pull tests.
Surface cleaning technique evaluations:
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CO2 snow jet cleaning, in-house capability, but learn more about CO2 snow jet cleaning at Applied Surface Technologies
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Solvent-based cleaning
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Microwave plasma cleaning
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Check cleaning effectiveness with above analytical capabilities
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Determine changes in surface chemistry of plastics caused by plasma cleaning
Electrochemistry or Corrosion Testing:
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Determine whether oxide film protects metal surface, which it may not due to contaminants, the attacking chemical agents, or a combination of both
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Determine breakdown potential of passive film on metal or pitting potential, which is affected by contamination and the corrosive media
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Determine the corrosion rate of a surface in a given electrolyte
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Measure the effectiveness of a coating or protective film as a function of time, applied potentials, and corrosive ions
Applications:
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Electronics contamination
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Packaging materials contamination
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Medical device contamination
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Composite materials fibers and particulates contamination affecting matrix bonding
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Adhesive bonding preparation and cause of bonding failures
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Corrosion due to contamination
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