Secondary
ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a technique used 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.
While only charged secondary ions emitted from the material surface through
the sputtering process are used to analyze the
chemical composition of the material, these represent a small fraction of the
particles emitted from the sample. 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.
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