Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)
Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (TOF – SIMS) is a surface – sensitive spectroscopy that uses a pulsed
ion beam to remove secondary ions from a very outermost surface of the sample. After the secondary ions are removed
the ions get accelerated and will be transported to the detector with their different speeds. The detector records
the mass of the secondary ions that is depending on its speed.
The TOF – SIMS method provides information about the molecular composition of the topmost atom layer. In fact of
the high mass resolution it is possible to provide a certain mass solution of chemical components of the surface.
The following animation shows the working principle of a combined FIB and TOF-SIMS using a DREEBIT ion source for the production of highly charged ions:
The use of highly charged ions in TOF-SIMS applications provides unprecedented possibilities.
DREEBITs ion sources are an appropriate platform technology for a TOF-SIMS device using highly charged ions.
Advantages of TOF-SIMS analytic setups using highly charged ions:
Extremely sensitive surface analysis
High rates of
Secondary ions
Secondary molecules
Secondary cluster
Secondary electrons
Extremely wide spectrum of the available primary ions for the surface sputtering process (including inert gas ions)
Short changeover times at the transition between one kind of primary ions and an other