The transport efficiency of laser-induced aerosols mainly influences the detection capabilities for high spatial resolution laser ablation microanalysis. Therefore, the volume of the ablation cell, the geometry, the gas flow pattern and the transfer tube to carry the aerosol into the ICP are important influences on the transport process and the signal structure. Four different ablation cell volumes, ranging from 0.25 to 63 cm³, in combination with various transfer tubes of different diameters and lengths were investigated. The signal structure was significantly modified by reducing the volume of the sample chamber by a factor of approximately 250. The peak height of single laser shot (aerosol density) was increased by a factor of 6, the signal width (aerosol dispersion) was reduced by a factor of 7 and the rinse time of the sample chamber was consequently shortened to approximately 1 s, thereby eliminating processes of sample recirculation within the cell. The gas flow pattern inside the cell was experimentally traced by introducing powder of different sizes (grain size <1 µm and <65 µm) inside the cell. An angle of 40° at the apex of the gas injection cone was observed at the tip of the inlet nozzle, for a 0.5 mm id nozzle and 1 L min⁻¹ gas flow. The gas inlet nozzle ensured a steady, high efficiency flow, influencing the precision of the measurements. The amount of transported material was constant within the precision of the ablation process for optimized transport and ionization conditions in all ablation cells. The ablation in a sample cell of volume of 0.25 cm³ showed slightly reduced sample transport and a slightly longer rinse time than for a 1.5 cm³ cell, which could be an indication that with extremely reduced cell volumes aerosol–wall interaction might limit the transport efficiency. The variation of the transport tube diameter (4–7 mm) and length (1.5–6 m) showed an influence on the signal structure, but the total amount of sample transferred was not influenced. Nevertheless, the variation of the dispersion as a function of the total volume of the transport system (cell and tube) showed that cell volume more significantly influenced the signal structure. A mathematical model was developed to describe the structure of the signal in relation to the parameters of the ablation set-up and its scope is discussed.

Anodic aluminum dissolution is strongly suppressed in highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes.

The performance‐boosting effect of alkali treatments is well known for chalcogenide thin‐film solar cells based on Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) and Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe–kesterite) absorbers. In contrast to heavier alkali elements, lithium is expected to alloy with the kesterite phase leading to the solid solution (Li_xCu_1−x)₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (LCZTSSe), which offers a way of tuning the semiconductor bandgap by changing the ratio Li/(Li+Cu). Here is presented an experimental series of solution‐processed LCZTSSe with lithium fraction Li/(Li+Cu) ranging from x = 0 to 0.12 in the selenized absorber as measured by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The proportional increase in lattice parameter a and bandgap from 1.05 to 1.18 eV confirms the lithium alloying in the kesterite phase. Increase in grain size is observed for x up to 0.07, whereas a higher lithium fraction leads to a porous absorber morphology due to an inhomogeneous distribution of Li‐containing compounds in the kesterite layer. An increase of the photoluminescence quantum yield is observed as the Li fraction increases in the absorber layer. A champion device exhibits a remarkable efficiency of 11.6% (12.2% active area) for x = 0.06, close to the world record value of 12.6% demonstrating the effectiveness of lithium alloying.

A comprehensive model was developed to describe laser ablation of metals (Cu) with expansion in different background gases, i.e., He, Ne, Ar, Kr and N₂. The effect of the background gas on the target heating, melting and vaporization, and on the plume expansion dynamics and plasma formation and plasma shielding, is investigated. It is found that the heavier background gases result in a slower expansion, or more confinement, of the vapour plume. Although background gases with a lower ionization potential exhibit a higher ionization degree in the plasma, this effect is of minor importance compared with the ionization of the vapour plume. Hence, the model predicts that the background gas has no significant influence on the plume temperature and electron density in the early stage of laser ablation (100 ns). Moreover, because laser absorption in the plasma mainly takes place in the vapour plume, plasma shielding is only slightly affected by the background gas. Nevertheless, the effect is large enough to yield some differences in the target evaporation depths, which are calculated to be slightly deeper for He than for Ne, Ar and Kr. These calculation results are in reasonable agreement with crater depths measured in the case of the different background gases.