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Agilent ICP-MS Journal
April 2020, Issue 80
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Continuing to Provide Support
and Information for Users of
Agilent ICP-MS Systems
Pages 2-3
The Importance of Ultrapure
Water in the Analysis of
Semiconductor Process
Chemicals
Pages 4-5
Introducing Some New
Features of Agilent ICP-MS
MassHunter Software
Revision 4.6
Continuing to Provide Support
and Information for Users of
Agilent ICP-MS Systems
These are exceptional times, with many people’s lives severely disrupted
and businesses and laboratories closed or working under tight
restrictions. Working remotely, we are still collating information on new
ICP-MS applications, product releases, and tips and tricks, in the hope and
expectation of better times to come.
Meanwhile, many of the resources you access for training, software
tutorials, user forums, and technical support can still be accessed online,
via the Agilent online community Agilent digital solutions.
Guidance on optimizing and maintaining your Agilent ICP-MS can be
found on the resource hub at Agilent ICP-MS resources.
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Celebrating a Successful
2020 Winter Conference on
Plasma Spectrochemistry
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ICP-MS Resource Hub
Updated with Exciting
Educational Content
Page 8
How To Improve Your Data
Quality Webinars; Latest
ICP-MS Publications
Figure 1. Agilent 7900 ICP-MS and ICP-MS MassHunter software — check whether an
upgrade to the latest revision is available for your system.
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April 2020, Issue 80
The Importance of Ultrapure Water in the Analysis of
Semiconductor Process Chemicals
Kazuhiro Sakai1, Mitsuo Takizawa2, and Ed McCurdy1, 1Agilent Technologies, Inc., 2Organo Corporation, Japan
Water quality in semiconductor analysis
Trace element contamination during semiconductor
manufacturing can affect the silicon wafer’s electrical
properties, potentially leading to defects and device
failure. High purity chemicals and ultrapure water (UPW)
are used throughout the wafer fabrication process to
minimize the potential for contamination.
Process and quality control laboratories also require
UPW to perform ultratrace analysis of the high purity
chemicals used in the semiconductor industry. To
measure low analyte concentrations accurately and
reliably requires low background levels, so trace element
contamination of the UPW diluent must be minimized.
Water purity typically refers to the absence of organic
and inorganic/ionic contaminants. The lower the level
of impurities, the higher the electrical resistivity of the
water, with a theoretical maximum resistivity for pure
water of 18.24 MΩ-cm (megohms). The SEMI standards
widely used in the semiconductor industry use the term
ultrapure water (or UPW) for water with the highest purity
(>18 MΩ-cm).
Laboratory-scale UPW systems are available from
manufacturers such as Merck (Millipore), Organo, and
ELGA. These systems use a series of reverse osmosis
(RO), de-ionizer (DI), and ultrafiltration (UF) cartridges to
remove particulate matter, organic contaminants, microorganisms, and inorganic ions. The process takes a feed
supply of normal tap water (or the site water supply in a
semiconductor fabrication plant) and dispenses UPW in
the laboratory.
Table 1 shows the concentrations of several elements
in UPW produced by the Puric ω system supplied by
Organo Corporation, Japan. Trace elements critical to the
semiconductor industry can all be measured at sub-ppt
levels using Agilent ICP-MS systems, in this case the
Agilent 8900 ICP-QQQ. In a clean, dust-free laboratory
Table 1. Trace elements in UPW from Organo Puric ω system,
measured using the 8900 ICP-QQQ.
Element m/z DL (ppt) BEC (ppt)
Li 7 0.05 < DL
B 11 0.69 3.71
Na 23 0.08 0.13
Mg 24 0.01 0.01
Al 27 0.00 0.05
K 39 0.03 0.04
Ca 40 0.04 0.14
Ti 48 0.12 < DL
V 51 0.01 0.01
Cr 52 0.14 0.24
Mn 55 0.02 0.03
Fe 56 0.33 < DL
Co 59 0.00 0.00
Ni 60 0.03 0.08
Cu 63 0.01 0.06
Zn 66 0.16 0.26
Ga 69 0.01 < DL
As 75 0.00 0.00
Rb 85 0.00 0.00
Sr 88 0.00 0.00
Zr 90 0.09 0.10
Mo 95 0.04 < DL
Ag 107 0.11 0.13
Cd 111 0.02 < DL
Cs 133 0.00 0.00
W 184 0.02 < DL
Pb 208 0.03 < DL
U 238 0.00 0.00
environment, the purity of UPW should remain high. But
contamination of some elements may occur from the
container or the laboratory environment, which may
impact solutions that are sampled over an extended
period, such as rinse solutions.
Continuously flowing rinse port for Agilent I-AS
Background levels may increase due to carry-over or
contamination from the rinse container or laboratory
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April 2020, Issue 80
environment. This can be avoided using a rinse port that
is continually supplied with fresh rinse solution.
The UPW system manufacturer Organo has developed
a dedicated flowing rinse port accessory for the Agilent
Integrated Autosampler (I-AS) that is used with Agilent
ICP-MS and ICP-QQQ systems. The Organo rinse port
accessory supplies fresh UPW from the Organo Puric ω UPW
system to the autosampler rinse port to flush the I-AS
probe between samples. The Organo flowing rinse port is
shown connected to the I-AS autosampler in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Agilent I-AS autosampler with Organo UPW flowing rinse
port system.
Boron (B) is one of the most troublesome trace level
contaminants in clean laboratories. It is one of the first
elements to break through the resin beds of laboratory
water deionizer systems, so maintaining a consistently
low B background in UPW can be difficult. Also, there
are several potential sources of B—both particulate and
gaseous—in a typical clean laboratory.
Even if airborne particulates are well controlled,
contamination can still occur due to solutions absorbing
gaseous B compounds from the laboratory air. Sources
of B include borosilicate glassware and the borosilicate
glass fibers used in high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
filters. Decomposition or acid attack of these materials
can release volatile B compounds, which may be absorbed
by solutions left in open vials or containers. This process
leads to a gradual increase in blank levels.
Figure 2. Boron blank level (ppt) in UPW from container (blue) and
from flowing rinse port (orange).
Figure 2 shows that contamination from the laboratory
environment increased the B level in the UPW in the
bottle. The concentration of B in the UPW supplied from
the flowing rinse port system remained stable with no
contamination. The comparison shows the importance
of regularly changing the rinse container UPW, either by
manually exchanging the rinse bottle, or using a flowing
rinse port system.
The Organo flowing rinse port system for the I-AS is
currently available in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan,
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Conclusion
Agilent ICP-MS and ICP-QQQ instruments can measure
very low levels of most elements, with DLs and BECs
typically in the sub-ppt range. But low DLs and BECs can
only be maintained if high-quality UPW is available for
sample dilution and preparation of calibration standards.
Contamination of rinse solutions can be avoided using a
continuously flowing rinse port solution.
More information
www.organo.co.jp/english/products/ultrapure-water/
B contamination of UPW in a clean laboratory was
assessed in the cleanroom at Agilent. The B concentration
in a container of UPW was measured periodically using the
Agilent 8900 ICP-QQQ. B in UPW from the Organo flowing
rinse port on the I-AS was also monitored. Data were
collected for 6 hours and the results are shown in Figure 2.
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April 2020, Issue 80
Introducing Some New Features of Agilent ICP-MS
MassHunter Software Revision 4.6
Glenn Woods and Ed McCurdy, Agilent Technologies, Inc.
ICP-MS MassHunter software
All current Agilent ICP-MS and ICP-QQQ systems are
controlled by ICP-MS MassHunter software. Revision
4.6 (G7201C, rev.C.01.06) is the latest release of the
software. It is compatible with all current 7800 and 7900
ICP-MS and 8900 ICP-QQQ systems, as well as the 7700
Series ICP-MS and 8800 ICP-QQQ.
ICP-MS MassHunter controls all aspects of instrument
configuration, optimization, method setup, and data
acquisition, processing and reporting. Built in method
presets and auto-optimization functions simplify
workflows and minimize errors.
For labs that typically follow a consistent analytical
workflow, ICP Go provides a simplified, browser-based
interface to control routine operations.
Optional modules extend ICP-MS MassHunter capability
for advanced applications. These applications include
speciation with LC or GC, nanoparticle and single
cell analysis, automated in-run QC, and regulatory
compliance functionality.
IntelliQuant screening
IntelliQuant is an easy to use screening function that
operates seamlessly with ICP-MS MassHunter acquisition
and quantitative data analysis processes. IntelliQuant
is selected via a check box in the Semiquant Analysis
Parameters of the acquisition method—see Figure 1, top.
IntelliQuant uses the full mass Quick Scan data, which
many users routinely collect to provide additional sample
insight for their quantitative methods. Quick Scan is
usually acquired in helium (He) cell mode, so analytes are
largely free from errors caused by polyatomic ion overlaps.
Adding Quick Scan acquisition to a method is easily done
by selecting the appropriate tune step in the acquisition
method settings, shown in Figure 1, bottom.
New features in ICP-MS MassHunter revision 4.6
Each new release of ICP-MS MassHunter brings new and
updated features to enable new applications, support
new accessories, and simplify and streamline workflows.
In this article, we highlight two of the new capabilities
introduced in ICP-MS MassHunter revision 4.6:
• New IntelliQuant feature that simplifies setup and
improves visualization and interpretation of Quick
Scan semiquantitative data in routine batch analysis.
• Configurable settings for nanoparticle signal
frequency distribution plots that add flexibility for
advanced single nanoparticle (sNP) and single cell
measurements.
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Figure 1. Selection of IntelliQuant processing in Semiquant Analysis
Parameters (top) and selection of tune step for Quick Scan (bottom).
With IntelliQuant, the Quick Scan data is automatically
processed using information already entered for the full
quant method, requiring little or no input from the user:
• The full quant analyte/internal standard (ISTD) lists
automatically define the elements used for calibration
of the IntelliQuant mass response curve and ISTD
correction.
• The full quant calibration blank (CalBlk) is
automatically set as the reference for IntelliQuant
ISTD and background signals.
• The element responses measured in the full quant
calibration standards (CalStds) automatically update
the batch-specific semiquant response factors.
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April 2020, Issue 80
give an easily interpreted overview of each sample’s
composition and any potential sources of error.
Single nanoparticle signal distribution plots
Single nanoparticle analysis is increasingly of interest in
food and environmental monitoring, and for development
of nanoscale products used in industrial materials,
agriculture, and pharmaceutical products.
Agilent ICP-MS MassHunter revision 4.6 includes flexible
control of the bin size or sampling range width for sNP
data, which can clarify the particle distribution of measured
NP signals. The new flexible bin size function is illustrated
in Figure 3.
Figure 2. Top and middle: ICP-MS MassHunter IntelliQuant
concentration heat map and outlier flags indicating possible
spectral overlap. Bottom: Quick Scan full mass spectrum enables
identification and confirmation of semiquantitative results for
uncalibrated elements.
IntelliQuant results are displayed in a separate table,
accessed from the tabs at the top of the Data Analysis
batch pane. Results are presented for all measurable
elements, except for those assigned as ISTDs.
As well as the table of results, the concentrations in each
sample are shown in a periodic table “heat map” view,
Figure 2, top. The second periodic table view indicates
“outlier” results that may be affected by spectral overlap,
including polyatomic ions, doubly charged interferences,
and adjacent mass overlaps. The periodic table views
Figure 3. Frequency distribution plots for SiO2 NPs. Top, equal bin
size. Bottom, weighted bin size.
The top plot in Figure 3 shows a frequency distribution
plot using equal bin sizes for all count rates. The bottom
plot used a weighted bin size, where a larger bin size is
used for higher count rates. A weighted bin size shows
the variation in signal intensities more clearly.
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April 2020, Issue 80
Celebrating a Successful 2020 Winter Conference on
Plasma Spectrochemistry
Chuck Schneider, Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Tucson, Arizona, USA, January 12-18, 2020
Agilent had a busy week at the recent Winter Conference
on Plasma Spectrochemistry with at least one customer
event held each day from Sunday to Thursday. The team
introduced the all-new Agilent 5800 and 5900 ICP-OES
systems during the opening of the exhibition on Monday
evening. At the Software Boot Camp, customers tried
the new releases of both Agilent ICP Expert and ICPMS MassHunter software. The “hands-on” software
workshops—designed to improve skills around method
development, method optimization, and reporting—were
very well received by all attendees. At the first lunch
seminar of the week, Paul Krampitz, Agilent ICP-OES
Applications Engineer (AE), gave an in-depth overview
of the new ICP-OES systems. At the two ICP-MS lunch
seminars, Bert Woods and Craig Jones, Agilent ICPMS AEs, talked about the latest developments in single
quadrupole (SQ) and triple quadrupole ICP-MS (ICP-QQQ).
Special thanks to Sara Erhadl from the Mayo Clinic, who
gave the keynote presentation at the ICP-QQQ user group
meeting. With just one more talk by Tomoyuki Yamada
from the Agilent ICP-MS development team, there was
plenty of time for more informal information exchange.
On Wednesday evening, guests at the Agilent Customer
Appreciation Event traveled by motor coach to The Rail
Yard in downtown Tucson where they ate, drank, danced,
and played bar games until late.
and speciation. Triple quadrupole ICP-MS remains the
hot topic in plasma instrumentation.
A review of the poster presentations
Bioimaging, metallomics, speciation analysis, biological,
clinical research, pharma, food, nanoparticles, and
instrumentation were the main application areas of
interest, as shown by the poster review. The review also
showed that Agilent ICP-OES, ICP-MS, and ICP-QQQ
systems were used in almost 40% of all posters:
21st conference in biennial series
Since the first Winter Conference on Plasma
Spectrochemistry took place in 1980, the conference has
remained an important event in the calendar. This year,
around 500 delegates traveled to Tucson from all parts
of the world to discuss developments in plasma
spectrochemistry. Popular themes included single
nanoparticle and single cell analysis, life science
research, laser ablation, isotope ratio and isotope dilution,
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International team of experts
Representatives from the Agilent ICP-MS, ICP-OES, and
MP-AES marketing and R&D teams joined colleagues from
North America. Between them, the team presented more
than 20 posters or oral presentations, and Agilent hosted
six different customer events.
Looking ahead: The European Winter Conference on
Plasma Spectrochemistry will take place in Ljubljana,
Slovenia January 31 to February 5, 2021.
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April 2020, Issue 80
ICP-MS Resource Hub Updated with Exciting
Educational Content
Gareth Pearson and Kate Lee, Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Introduction
The Agilent ICP-MS resource hub makes it easy to stay
up to date with the best practices for instrument
maintenance and operation. By giving you instant access
to how-to videos, maintenance procedures, training
opportunities, and more we help you achieve great ICP-MS
results and avoid any costly downtime.
This is the third update of the ICP-MS resource hub. Since
its launch in 2017, the hub has been visited many times by
customers looking for technical information and guidance.
New content: Atomic Spectroscopy Learning Hub
The Learning Hub is a platform where users can access
e-learning content and keep track of their learning progress.
Agilent is currently offering a free-access course on Sample
Introduction (available now). Three further modules will be
available later in 2020, covering application-specific setup,
in-depth topical applications, and ask-an-expert interview.
https://www.sepscience-spectroscopytutorials.com/
courses/atomic-spectroscopy-learning-hub/
New content: Interface Cone Selection Guide
The Selection Guide enables you to quickly select the
right ICP-MS cone for your application and instrument
model.
The guide features our new Ni-plated Pt-tipped sampling
cone (G3280-67142) that reduces corrosion when
analyzing samples in strong acids such as aqua regia.
The new cone extends lifetime, simplifies maintenance,
and boosts productivity. https://www.agilent.com/en/
promotions/icp-ms-cone-selection-guide
Learn more
https://www.agilent.com/en/promotions/icp-ms-resource
Or search Agilent.com for ICP-MS resource.
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Webinar Series on How to Improve Your ICP Data Quality
In this three-part webinar series hosted by Spectroscopy, Agilent Specialists
will present some practical ways to identify and understand sources of errors
in ICP-MS and ICP-OES data. We will look at the benefits and limitation of some
common approaches used to monitor data quality. And we will introduce the
latest instrumentation and strategies that users can use to address some
common errors.
Join us for this webinar series as we look to:
• Identify the sources of errors in ICP-OES and ICP-MS data.
• Address common errors and improve data quality in ICP applications.
• Reveal approaches to dealing with the challenges of extending ICP methods
into novel applications, new sample types, and emerging contaminants.
Learn more and register at:
Agilent Webinar Series on Errors and Interferences in ICP-OES and ICP-MS
Latest Agilent ICP-MS publications
• Application note: Elemental Impurity Analysis of Sterile Artificial Tear Eye
Drops Following USP <232>/<233> and ICH Q3D/Q2(R1) Protocols on the
Agilent 7900 ICP-MS, 5994-1561EN
• Application note: Direct Analysis of Ultratrace Rare Earth Elements in
Environmental Waters by ICP-QQQ: Measure emerging pollutants in river water
using the Agilent 8900 ICP-QQQ in MS/MS mass-shift mode, 5994-1785EN
• Application brief: Analysis of 15 nm Iron Nanoparticles in Organic Solvents by
spICP-MS: Using the exceptional sensitivity and low background of the Agilent
8900 ICP-QQQ, 5994-1747EN
• Application brief: Routine Detection of Nanoparticles in Infant Formula
using Single Particle ICP-MS: Identifying 13 major and trace element-
containing nanoparticles using an Agilent 7800 ICP-MS, 5994-1748EN
This information is subject to change without notice.
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2020
Published in the USA, April 27, 2020
5994-1842EN
DE.0904050926
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