Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

In secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), a focused ion beam is directed to a solid surface, removing material in the form of neutral and ionized atoms and molecules. The secondary ions are then accelerated into a mass spectrometer and separated according to their mass-to-charge ratio.

Equipment Name Contact Location
Equipment Name Contact Location
Physical Electronics Trift III
  • Timothy Spila tspila
B04 MRL

The PHI TRIFT III is a Time of Flight SIMS, which uses a pulsed primary beam to generate secondary ions which are mass separated by the amount of time it takes for the secondary ion to reach the detector. This produces a full mass spectrum from each primary pulse. The primary strengths of TOF-SIMS are surface/near surface analysis with low detection limits, isotopic analysis, imaging, and rapid depth profiling. Sensitivity to hydrogen, lithium, and elemental isotopes allow for measurements on metal, semiconductor, polymer, and biological samples.

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