Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

k eV

Primary Ion Beam

Collision Induced Dissociation (CID)

Charge Exchange Reactions (CERs)

Collision Induced Reactions (CIRs)

Physical Sputtering
Chemical Sputtering
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6.2 Bombardment: Surface and Near-Surface

Important in Fusion Reactors
Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Surface analysis technique used in semiconductor
industry, material research, environmental research,
biological research etc.
Primary ion beam of 10-30 keV generates secondary
particles (sputtering)
Most of them are neutrals. Only 1-5 % are charged
particles
Primary ion current is usually nA to A
Material is sputtered at 0.01-1 nm/s
Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Dynamic SIMS
used to study impurities in semiconductor industry
high detection limit ppb to ppm
not a pure surface analysis technique as it sputters the
material away

Static SIMS
pulsed primary beam of low current (pA) i.e.
Ion-induced damage is very low

Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Elemental/molecular Mapping
Liquid metal ion sources focusing the primary ion beam
to 100 nm diameter to achieve high spatial resolution
Depth profiling
A second sputtering ion beam is used as the current of the
primary ion beam is very low i.e. Dual-beam depth profiling

Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Time of Flight (TOF) Mass Spectrometer MS

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

TOF-SIMS is used where

Isotope information is required

Molecular information is required
Element/molecular concentrations are lower than 0.1-1 %
High lateral resolution (100 nm) mapping required
Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

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Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

Strengths
high isotope sensitivity
elemental information with high spatial resolution
widely used technique for elemental mapping

Limitations
damages the sample(partly avoided by lower sputter
ion current)
lacks quantitative and chemical state information

Dr. Bilal Rasul Warraich, The University of Lahore

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