Phase analysis
Secondary ion mass spectrometry: SIMS and ToF-SIMS Analytical procedures and performances

Variations in the ionization yields of species depending on the chemical nature of the phases in which they are found (matrix effect), which are a handicap for quantitative exploitation in elemental analysis, can on the contrary be a powerful means of identifying and measuring the quantities of phases in a material.

Figure 18 shows how differences in emissivity can be used to quantitatively measure changes in the precipitation of a compound in a material, here NbC in a steel . We first calibrate the variation in ionic emission of Nb⁺ as a function...