Laser Ablation ICPMS Lab (ERB-5110)

Our laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) facility is housed in a HEPA-filtered, climate controlled instrument laboratory just down the hall from the rest of IGL labs. Our facility is built around a ThermoFisher iCAP RQ quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer coupled to a Teledyne Analyte Excite+ 193 nm excimer laser ablation system. We also maintain our older ThermoElectron X-Series II quadrupole ICPMS and New Wave Research UP-213 Nd:YAG UV (213 nm) laser ablation system, particularly for laser milling of small domains of zircon. Our analytical protocols, standard materials and data reduction software allow for automated, simultaneous acquisition and real-time calibration of U-Th-Pb ages and a suite of HFSE and REE elements using the high sensitivity and rapid scanning of the iCAP interface and quadrupole analyzer as well as the ablation efficiency of the excimer laser platform.

The plasma interface and analyzer of the X-Series II quadrupole, here shown running in solution mode with a Peltier-cooled spray chamber, microconcentric nebulizer, and ESI FAST autosampler.

In order to compress hundreds of crystals from multiple samples into the standard laser cell of the UP-213, we cast a 1 cm i.d. glass collar into a standard 1″ round epoxy mounts. After polishing and imaging the 1 cm plug is extracted; 3 sample plugs can be fitted into a single 1″ adapting holder.

All laser spot analyses are guided by CL images. With excellent stage reproducibility and full ADL-script integration of the New Wave and Thermo Plasmalab software hundreds of sample spots can be pre-programmed for automated, unattended, round-the-clock analysis.

The home page of the in-house data reduction for LA-ICPMS. Twenty-nine analytes (Si, P, Ti, Y, Nb, Ta, Hf, REEs, Hg, Pb, Th, U) in up to 200 samples and standards make up a single experiment.

The solid-state UP-213 laserprobe offers extremely reliable ablation characteristics, reproducible stage alignment, and fully integrated software communication with the X-Series II ICPMS.

The 1″ sample insert is shown here being fitted into the laser cell. Zircon and glass standards are also fitted into the cell as 1 cm diameter plugs in line with the samples and along the axial flow channel of the laser cell.

Output time-resolved signals from the Plasmalab software are uploaded into a VisualBasic macro-driven spreadsheet data reduction platform for signal analysis, concentration and isotope ratio calibration and age analysis and error propagation.

Time-resolved signals for multiple analytes and ratios can be rapidly examined in the data reduction software to identify and isolate inclusions, anomalous fractionation, or intra-crystalline age zoning.