Optimized time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth profiling with a dual beam technique

High resolution depth profiling has been performed in a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) instrument equipped with independent ion sources for sputtering (crater formation) and for SIMS analysis. In this dual beam mode a low energy sputter gun (Cs or any gas ion) allows a free selection of optimum sputter conditions with regard to depth resolution and matrix optimization. For secondary ion generation an independent high energy ion beam, optimized with regard to focussing and secondary ion yield (Ga or gas ion source) is applied. For different sputter gases (Ar, Xe, O-2, and SF6), energies (0.3-2 keV) and angles of incidence a systematic investigation of B layers in Si and GaAlAs multilayers has been carried out. Decay lengths of 0.53 nm were achieved for low energy sputtering of B layers in Si with 0.6 keV SF5+. In this dual beam mode the depth profiling performance of TOF-SIMS exceeds that of state of the art quadrupole and magnetic sector field instruments in several fields of application, important in particular in microelectronics. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.