APPLICATIONS OF A GALLIUM LIQUID-METAL ION GUN IN SURFACE-ANALYSIS

A versatile secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) capability is of great value in an analytical laboratory where a broad range of materials is being analyzed. This capability should include facilities for both static and dynamic SIMS for the characterization of polymers, for depth profiling and for imaging. For multi-technique spectrometers there is a limit to the number of sources and analyzers which can be included on the vacuum chamber, thereby requiring some compromises to be made in the selection of the sources which will be included. The gallium liquid metal ion gun provides a versatile source which enables many different types of SIMS studies to be performed. Several applications using the gallium liquid metal ion gun such as high resolution spatial imaging of composite materials, depth profiling of certain semiconductor materials and SIMS spectra of organics will be shown as examples of this versatility.