In: Chemistry
Provide a high level (cartoon or box model) description of how an ICP-MS and how an IC work.
An ICP-MS is high level inductively coupled plasma coupled with Mass sepctrometry. The ICP converts the atoms of the element in the sampe to ions which are then separated and detected by MS. High level ICP-MS is used for dseparation and determination of overlapping Chemicals of interest.
For example, determination of low concentrations of arsenic (AS) and Cromium (Cr) . The Resolving power of high level ICP-MS is as high as 8000. Sampels are introduced into the instrument in solution. Aqueous samples can be introduced as a wet aerosol using a Peltier cooled spray chamber, as a dry aerosol using a desolvation nebulizer, or as a vapor using a cold vapor generator. The use of Laser Ablation (LA) sampling can give added information on the spatial variations of elemental composition in solid samplesThis instrument can also be used where dissolution of solids is difficult.
IC is a combination of diodes, transistors and microprocessors on a wafer.The microprocessor is the most important part of the IC. Microprocessor provides memory to the system and it can be called as operating system of an integrated circuit.. It also provides memory to perform calculations and follow a certain logic or protocol. The protocol or the logic tells the microprocessor how to process the data and electricity throughout the system.
An IC can also function as an amplifier, oscillator, timer, counter, computer memory.