Fast Scanning Laser-OES. II. Sample Material Ablation and Depth Profiling in Metals

Abstract

For the characterization of non-metallic inclusions in steel samples, a fast scanning laser-induced optical emission spectrometer (Laser-OES) was developed. In this second part of the series, the correlation between Laser-OES signal intensities and depth profiles and crater geometries as well, was investigated by scanning electron-beam microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. The influence of the laser pulse energy on the crater topography in the sample surface is described.

Keywords:

• Crater geometry
• Depth profiling
• Laser ablation
• Laser-OES
• LIBS
• LIPS
• Low-alloy steel
• Surface layer

Acknowledgments

Parts of the presented work have been carried out within the frame of an EU project granted by the European Commission for Coal and Steel (ECSC) RTD steel program under Contract 7210-PR/168 [15]. The authors like to thank the ECSC for financial support.