東レリサーチセンター Company Profile

Gas chromatography (GC) is a representative method for analyzing volatile organic compounds, and it will continue to play an active role in various fields such as industry, environment, and pharmaceuticals, both now and in the future. Recent advancements in electronics technology have significantly improved the precision and sensitivity of GC/MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) compared to the past, and its operation has become easier. As a result, even those with little experience can use it easily, allowing for rapid and straightforward identification of compounds through mass spectra and quantification from peak areas. On the other hand, many people can use the equipment but lack detailed knowledge of the principles and mechanisms of the devices, which sometimes prevents them from fully utilizing the performance of GC in the development of new analytical methods, including sample preparation. This course aims to provide the foundational knowledge necessary to understand GC more deeply and use it correctly. It will not only explain the basic principles, specialized terminology, and the structure and function of the equipment but also clearly describe sample preparation techniques such as extraction and derivatization, the procedures for setting up analytical methods utilizing these techniques, and troubleshooting.

Inorganic element analysis is required in various situations, including understanding the composition of industrial materials and products, the content of impurity elements, troubleshooting in manufacturing processes, and investigating factory wastewater and market products, covering research and development, production, and quality assurance. The main methods for inorganic element analysis include Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). ICP-OES, ICP-MS, and AAS require the samples to be in solution form for analysis, and sometimes complex chemical pretreatment that requires skill is necessary. This course will provide a basic explanation of the principles, characteristics, measurement procedures, precautions during measurement, and how to interpret spectra for each analytical method. Additionally, it will introduce basic pretreatment methods and processing environments needed to obtain the required solutions for measurement, as well as points to be cautious about during the work. Finally, recent application examples related to ICP-MS will be presented.

RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry) is a method for analyzing the composition of thin films on solid surfaces, characterized by its non-destructive nature and the absence of a need for standard samples for quantitative analysis. In this course, we will clearly explain the analytical method, points of caution, and more. Furthermore, we will also introduce related techniques that use high-energy ions, such as hydrogen analysis (HFS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), including their applications. By delving into the measurement principles and analysis methods, we aim to provide a unified understanding of the content and help participants acquire practical knowledge for on-site application. SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) is the most sensitive method among surface analysis techniques and is optimal for depth profiling of impurities in various solid materials, including semiconductors. It has a long history of use in both industrial and research applications. However, the quality of the data can vary significantly based on the measurement conditions, making it a technique that requires expertise. In this course, we will explain the fundamental aspects of Dynamic-SIMS, including its principles, characteristics, effectiveness, and the workings of the equipment, as well as specific methods for obtaining high-quality data, such as addressing sensitivity changes, optimizing depth resolution, and reducing background (residual components within the equipment).