Microscopic evaluation of contaminants in ultra-high purity copper

Copper is one of few elements that have no long-lived radioisotopes and which can be electrodeposited to ultra-high levels of purity. Experiments probing neutrino properties and searching for direct evidence of dark matter require ultra-clean copper, containing the smallest possible quantities of radioactive contaminants. Important to the production of such copper is establishing the location and dispersion of contamination within the bulk material. Co-deposition of contaminants during copper electrodeposition and its relationship to nucleation and growth processes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS).