Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) as a Characterization Tool in the Metallurgical Sciences

摘要

The use of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) as a surface analytical technique has enjoyed great success and has forged a large niche in the semiconductor industry. In fact, the great majority of the SIMS instruments worldwide are associated with the semiconductor industry either as a research or quality control tool. However, the technique has also proven to be very useful in the metallurgical, geological, mineralogical and biological fields. A common application of SIMS in all these fields is as an ion microscope, whereby element specific images of the sample surface with detection limits extending to the parts per billion regime and a lateral resolution of the order of 1 |am can be routinely acquired. It is the purpose of this paper to give those unfamiliar with the technique a review as to how the method works and to present a case study outlining a typical investigation of a metallurgical sample.