Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) is generally regarded as the oldest instrumental technique for elemental analysis, tracing its origins to the mid 19th century. By the middle of the last century, developments in instrument design, optics, detector technology and electronics had created an analytical tool that had become one of the most widely used in materials testing.
This is still the case today. OES instruments from SPECTRO Analytical Instruments have earned an enviable reputation for performance and reliability and thousands are to be found in laboratories and metallurgical industries throughout the world.
The heart of any OES instrument is the optics and detection system. Traditionally, the photomultiplier has been the detector of choice, but developments in semiconductor technology have yielded solid-state detectors such as CCD's that can approach the performance of the photomultiplier. Both types of detector have their advantages in terms of analytical performance, but compromises inevitably have to be made when choosing which to use in an instrument, and most commercially available instruments use either photomultiplier or CCD detection.
The SPECTROLAB has a revolutionary hybrid optical design that incorporates both types of detector in the same instrument in optimized configurations, allowing the analyst to choose the detector best suited for the individual application - truly the best of both worlds!