Isopropyl alcoho

l (IPA) is one of the most commonly used organic solvents

in the semiconductor industry. Silicon wafers are dried after surface

cleaning in the manufacturing process and IPA is frequently used during the

drying step. The purity of IPA used is critical since these materials come in

direct contact with the silicon wafers and any contaminants present at this

stage could be detrimental to the overall performance of the final product.

Plasma

-

based instrument

ation is widely used in the semiconductor industry

due to its multielement capability and sensitivity compared to techniques

such as Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). However a robust

plasma is required for the analysis of organic matrices. M

icrowave Plasma

Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP

-

AES) uses magnetically

-

coupled

microwave energy to generate a stable plasma that is highly suited to

the analysis of organic solvents. The Agilent 4200 MP

-

AES features an

advanced microwave cavity and a

torch designed to handle a wide range

of samples, with better detection limits and an increased working range,

compared to FAAS. Major elements (Ca, K, Na and Mg) in IPA can be easily

determined using MP

-

AES with little sample preparation.