OPTIMIZATION OF THE DYNAMIC-RANGE OF SIMS DEPTH PROFILES BY SAMPLE PREPARATION

The dynamic range is one of the most important figures of merit of SIMS measurements and equipment. The term refers to the concentration range of an analysed element—its concentration being high near the surface but decreasing with increasing depth—that can be measured by depth profiling. The state of the art is such that, under favourable conditions, 5–6 orders of magnitude are possible (measured on ion‐implanted boron in silicon). It is shown that with special sample preparation techniques (removal of the sputter crater environment) the dynamic range can be extended to 7 orders of magnitude. Experimental details of the preparative methods are given together with a critical evaluation of the methods. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.