ABSTRACT
Conventional sample introduction systems using a spray chamber and nebulizer account for the majority of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) applications being carried out. Initially regarded as novel sampling devices, they have since proved themselves to be invaluable for solving real-world application problems by enhancing the flexibility, performance, and productivity of the technique. The limitation of ICP-MS to analyze solids, without dissolving the material, led to the development of laser ablation. The first laser ablation systems developed for ICP instrumentation were based on solid-state ruby lasers, operating at 694 nm. The benefits of laser ablation coupled with ICP-MS are well documented by the large number of application references in the public domain, which describe the analysis of metals, ceramics, polymers, minerals, biological tissue, pharmaceutical tablets, and many other sample types. In addition, the use of higher-quality optics allowed for a more homogeneous laser beam profile, which provided the optimum energy density to couple with the sample matrix.
