Method for analyzing solid specimen and apparatus therefor

A method for analyzing a solid specimen comprising the steps of:

• (a) preparing a pulsed laser beam having a frequency of at least 100 Hz and a half width of 1 .mu.sec or less;
• (b) determining a laser irradiation region so that an energy density satisfies the following equation:
• Q>t.sup.1/2 .times..alpha./r
• where
• Q represents the energy density (J/cm.sup.2);
• t represents the pulse half width;
• .alpha. represents a parameter inherent in the solid specimen;
• and
• r represents an absorption coefficient of the laser beam;
• (c) irradiating the pulsed laser beam having said irradiation region on a surface of the solid specimen in an inert gas stream and vaporizing a part of the solid specimen to generate fine particles;
• (d) repeating the step (c) on the same surface that the pulsed laser beam is irradiated at the step (c) to generate further fine particles;
• (e) transferring said fine particles formed in steps (c) and (d) to a detector;
• and
• (f) performing elemental analysis in the detector.