What elements can SIMS detect?
The SIMS technique provides a unique combination of extremely high sensitivity for all elements from Hydrogen to Uranium and above (detection limit down to ppb level for many elements), high lateral resolution imaging (down to 40 nm), and a very low background that allows high dynamic range (more than 5 decades).
What is the difference between static and dynamic SIMS?
Static SIMS focuses solely on the first top monolayer, mostly for molecular characterization. Dynamic SIMS mode investigates bulk composition and in-depth distribution of trace elements, with a depth resolution from sub-nm to tens of nm. All CAMECA SIMS instruments are capable of dynamic SIMS.
Are Sims destructive?
Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) is a destructive analytical technique in which material is removed from a surface by ion beam sputtering, and the resultant positive and negative ions are mass analyzed in a mass spectrometer [62].
How does a mass spectrometer work?
A mass spectrometer can measure the mass of a molecule only after it converts the molecule to a gas-phase ion. To do so, it imparts an electrical charge to molecules and converts the resultant flux of electrically charged ions into a proportional electrical current that a data system then reads.
Can Sims detect isotopes?
“Conventional” SIMS instruments mostly use large radius magnetic sectors nowadays. They have a lateral resolution of a few µm and can detect simultaneously up to five isotopes in a small mass range. They are usually used for high precision spot analyses of isotopes with a precision reaching 0.1‰.
How do you read a mass spectrometer?
A mass spectrum will usually be presented as a vertical bar graph, in which each bar represents an ion having a specific mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and the length of the bar indicates the relative abundance of the ion. The most intense ion is assigned an abundance of 100, and it is referred to as the base peak.