Depth Profiles of Nitrogen and Chlorine in Pure Materials Through AMS of the Neutron Activation Products 14C and 36Cl

Abstract

Determination of the more common light elements such as nitrogen and chlorine at trace levels is difficult because of their high abundance on sample surfaces, in materials used to build analysis instruments, and in the residual gas of the instrument vacuum. We present here a new approach to analysis of these elements: accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) combined with neutron activation. The problem of contamination is overcome by using neutron activation to produce long-lived radioisotopes which generally have low concentrations in the environment. For measurement of 14N and 35Cl, AMS can provide sensitive background-free measurements of their neutron activation products 14C and 36Cl and, in addition, can provide depth profiles. These are the first results of this new method: depth profiles of nitrogen and chlorine implanted in semiconductor grade silicon.