Secondary ion mass spectrometry

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a technique used in materials science and surface science to analyze the composition of solid surfaces and thin films by sputtering the surface of the specimen with a focused primary ion beam and collecting and analyzing ejected secondary ions. These secondary ions are measured with a mass spectrometer to determine the elemental, isotopic, or molecular composition of the surface. SIMS is the most sensitive surface analysis technique, being able to detect elements present in the parts per billion range. Typically, a secondary ion mass spectrometer consists of:

1) primary ion gun generating the primary ion beam,

2) primary ion column, accelerating and focusing the beam onto the sample (and in some devices an opportunity to separate the primary ion species by wien filter or to pulse the beam),

3) high vacuum sample chamber holding the sample and the secondary ion extraction lens,

4) mass analyser separating the ions according to their mass to charge ratio,

5) ion detection unit.

Typical schematic of a dynamical SIMS instrument

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