Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a laser based spectroscopic compositional analysis method. In the LIBS technique, a highly energetic laser beam is used as an excitation source, to optically breakdown and generate plasma within the target area of a sample. The plasma, upon cooling, emits light at wavelengths that are characteristic of atomic species present in the plasma. The emitted light is subjected to spectrometric analysis, to determine elemental composition of the sample. The concentration of each element correlates with the intensity of its spectral peak. The amount of sample subjected to breakdown and conversion to plasma, is in the range of nanograms to picograms. Depending on the laser power, characteristic emissions occur within time frames of nanoseconds to microseconds. Hence, the detector gate-width needs to be optimized to capture full spectral information within this time frame. LIBS can analyze metallic or non-metallic solids as well as liquid and gaseous samples.
Common Uses of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Detection of contamination in thin surface layers of composite materials
- Semiconductor and wafer coating characterization
- Analysis of pigments and coatings
- Soil carbon, nutrients and contaminants measurement
- Rock and mineral surface analysis
- Metal alloy identification and analysis
- Heavy metals detection in industrial wastewater
Advantages of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Negligible or nil sample preparation required before analysis
- Rapid, real-time analysis
- Laboratory as well as portable LIBS instruments are available
- Solids, liquids or gas can be analysed
- Remote sensing of materials is possible.
- Localized microanalysis with lateral and depth profiling information is easily obtained.
Limitations of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Overcoming matrix effects is a challenge for LIBS applications in soil analysis
- Pulse to pulse variation in spectral intensity needs adjustments
- Spectra depend upon the instrument characteristics
Industrial Applications of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Quality control in polymer composites production
- Semiconductor research and production
- Agriculture research
- Geological research
- Metallurgical industry
- Environmental analysis
- Spectroscopy (LIBS)
