SURFACE CHARACTERISATION
During elaboration or use of a material or a new product, surfaces often play a major role. Wear, corrosion, adhesion… arise from the physical and chemical properties of the surfaces and interfaces. So, they need to be characterised in order to well understand the interactions occurring.
In many fields, surface analysis techniques help to control and improve material performances, thus leading to an increase in competitiveness :
- In Research and Development, surface analysis techniques are a knowledge tool, and help during process optimisation.
- In Production, surface analysis techniques can become a real tool to check quality and reproductibility of surface states.
- For Problem solving (weldability, adhesion, contamination…), surface analysis techniques are also powerful means of investigation.
ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
- Elementary and quantitative analysis of the top atomic layers: from nanometer to a few tenths of micrometers
- Chemical analysis: information about bonds, oxidation states, functional groups
- Molecular analysis
- Trace analysis
- Elements localisation with a high resolution:
- In depth: profiling (from a few nm to a few μm),
- Spatial: elemental and molecular imaging (resolution <1 μm),
- Any solid material analysis, including powders and insulating samples.
The performances of each technique are presented in the schema above and table below :
| Name | Technical sheet | Elementary | Quanti | Chemical | Sensibility | Depth profiling | Spot size | Profil | Insulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XPS |  |
yes | yes | yes | 0,1 % at. | 10 nm | 10 µm | yes -> 1 µm | yes |
| AES | |
yes | yes | yes | 0,1 % at. | 0.1 nm | 10 µm | yes -> 1 µm | no |
| DSIMS | |
yes | difficult | no | ppm-ppb | – | 0.3 µm | yes -> 10 µm | yes |
| SSIMS | |
yes | difficult | yes molecular | femtomole | < 1 nm | 0.3 µm | – | yes |
| GD-OES | |
yes | yes | no | ppm | – | no | yes -> 100 µm | yes (RF) |
| EDS (SEM) | |
yes | yes | no | 0.1 % at. | 1 µm | 1 µm | no | yes |
| FTIR | |
no | no | yes molecular | 1000 ppm | 1 µm | 3 µm | no | yes |
| TEM | |
yes with EDS | yes with EDS | yes with EELS | 1 % at. | 100 nm | down to the nanometre | no | yes |
Our different types of expertise
Surface phenomena
There are many surface phenomena: sweating of plasticizers and / or additives in polymers, chemical transfer, difference in wettability. Only surface techniques available in the laboratory can characterize these phenomena.
Quality control
Quality control makes it possible to know whether the products or services sold by the company are in compliance with:
- Market requirements,
- The demand of client,
- Legislation,
- The specifications of the company.
Quality control also analyses the conditions for retouching or rejecting a product.
Our customers regularly ask us to check the compliance of:
- Components or raw material of a product upon receipt,
- Production in progress,
- Processed products.
These controls can be carried out, depending on the field, according to standards.
Defects analysis/failure
We have a very broad experience of processes in many fields allowing us to better understand production defects (scrap) and material failures.
Material development
We support you in the development of your new products or in the modification of your process for environmental (REACH in particular) or technical reasons.
Volume analysis
SERMA Technologies’ surface analysis laboratory (Science et Surface) carries out material analyses with its partner laboratories: particulate analysis and foreign bodies, XRD, ICP-MS, GD-MS, HS-GCMS, DSC, ATG, pyrolysis GC-MS, micro-hardness, viscosity measurement, water content, ageing tests, corrosion tests, etc. and other analyses on request.
Industrial case studies
As experts in surface analysis, SERMA Technologies’ surface analysis laboratory is involved in a wide range of industrial cases to control and improve the quality of material performance.
We carry out a wide range of analyses to meet our customers’ requirements.
Surface cleaning monitoring, paint adhesion failure characterisation, observation of insect, characterization of thin films with anti-reflective coatings: we adapt to your requirements!
