Agilent ICP-MS Journal (February 2015 – Issue 60)

Importance of the Topic

Advances in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and its hyphenated techniques address critical analytical challenges in semiconductor manufacturing, nanoparticle characterization, fuel quality control and instrument innovation. High sensitivity, interference removal and multi-element capability enable reliable trace-level measurements in complex matrices.

Objectives and Study Overview

The February 2015 Agilent ICP-MS Journal (Issue 60) compiles applications and developments of ICP-MS technologies:

• Applying the Agilent 8800 ICP-QQQ for trace metal impurity monitoring on silicon wafers in the semiconductor industry.
• Coupling capillary electrophoresis (CE) to ICP-MS for simultaneous multi-element detection and accurate size distribution of nanoparticles in consumer products and water samples.
• Integrating gas chromatography (GC) with ICP-MS for single-run profiling of hydrocarbons and tetraethyllead (TEL) in aviation gasoline.
• Reviewing three decades of Agilent ICP-MS innovation, marking the 100th installation in Turkey and highlighting upcoming conferences and publications.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

Key analytical setups included:

• Agilent 8800 Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS with MS/MS mode and H₂/O₂ cell gases, combined with vapor phase decomposition (VPD) sampling for wafer analysis.
• Agilent HP 3D CE coupled via a CE-MS interface to an Agilent 7500ce ICP-MS for nanoparticle separation and detection in a single run.
• Agilent 7890 GC linked to an Agilent 7900 ICP-MS operated in time-resolved analysis (TRA) mode for aviation fuel investigation.
• Historical platforms: Yokogawa PMS series, HP 4500, Agilent 7500, 7700, 8800 and 7900 ICP-MS models showing progressive improvements in sensitivity, matrix tolerance and dynamic range.

Results and Discussion

• In semiconductor applications, MS/MS ICP-QQQ effectively suppressed silicon-based polyatomic interferences, achieving detection limits below 1 ppt and reliable quantification of Cu, P and other elements in wafer scan solutions.
• CE-ICP-MS delivered accurate size distributions for Ag and Au nanoparticles (8–42 nm) in consumer and environmental samples, distinguishing dissolved ions and matching TEM results, with greater resolution than DLS.
• GC-ICP-MS separated C₁₃ hydrocarbons and TEL in AvGas, confirming consistent hydrocarbon profiles across four tanks and negating heavy naphtha contamination; 208Pb was quantified at typical TEL levels (0.41–0.43 g/L).
• Instrument evolution from bench-top designs to triple quadrupole and high-matrix tolerant systems underpins expanded ICP-MS applications in research, QA/QC and industry.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enables semiconductor fabs to monitor ultra-trace metal contamination on wafers, improving yield and device reliability.
• Provides rapid screening and quality control of nanoparticle formulations in consumer products and environmental monitoring.
• Offers comprehensive hydrocarbon profiling and trace lead determination in aviation fuels for safety and regulatory compliance.
• Delivers versatile, high-performance ICP-MS platforms suitable for diverse analytical scenarios, from single-cell analysis to high-matrix samples.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Ongoing advances in collision/reaction cell chemistries, MS/MS mass filtering and hyphenated interfaces will further reduce spectral interferences, lower detection limits and expand ICP-MS utility in emerging fields such as nanotoxicology, clinical diagnostics and real-time process monitoring.

Conclusion

Issue 60 of the Agilent ICP-MS Journal demonstrates how innovations in triple quadrupole ICP-MS, CE-ICP-MS and GC-ICP-MS deliver robust solutions for trace elemental analysis. Continuous instrument development has extended capabilities to meet evolving demands in semiconductor processing, nanoparticle research, fuel quality assurance and broader analytical applications.

References

• K. Mizobuchi, M. Yukinari, Ultra trace measurement of potassium and other elements in ultrapure water using the Agilent 8800 ICP-QQQ in cool plasma reaction cell mode, Agilent publication (2014), 5991-5372EN.
• L. Liu, B. He, Q. Liu, Z. Yun, X. Yan, Y. Long, G. Jiang, Identification and Accurate Size Characterization of Nanoparticles in Complex Media by CE-ICP-MS, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 14476–14479.
• B. Geiger, Investigation of Aviation Gasoline for Contaminants by GC-ICP-MS, Agilent ICP-MS Journal February 2015 – Issue 60.