The late 20th century to early 21st century has been described as the Silicon Age, because of the large impact that elemental silicon (Si) has had on the world economy. Highly purified Si used in semiconductor electronics is essential in the production of transistors and integrated circuit chips used in many areas of modern technology. Metallic silicon, in any form, must be analyzed for contaminants, because their presence and concentration critically impact the final product in any application area.
This work describes silicon sample analysis using ICP-MS, focusing mainly on elements suffering from spectral interferences from polyatomic ions formed by Si, diluent acids and plasma gases, and demonstrates the NexION® 5000 Multi-Quadrupole ICP-MS as a robust solution for routine quantification of ultra-trace impurities at ppt levels in highly concentrated Si matrices, as required by the semiconductor and solar industries.