ToF-S-SIMS molecular 3D analysis of micro-objects as an alternative to ion beam erosion at large depth: application to single inkjet dots.

Molecular depth profiling is needed to develop high-tech materials optimised to the µm or even up to the nm scale. Recent progress in time-of-flight static secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-S-SIMS) offers perspectives to molecular depth profiling. However, at this moment, the methodology is not yet capable to deal with a range of materials science applications because of the limited depth range, the loss of intensity in the subsurface and the loss of depth resolution at large distances from the original surface. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a complementary approach for the molecular 3D analysis at large depth, using a combination of ultra-low angle microtomy (ULAM) and surface analysis of the sectioned material with ToF-S-SIMS. Single inkjet dots with a diameter of 100 µm and height of 22 µm on a PET substrate have been used as a test system for the methodology. It is demonstrated that the use of a diamond knife allows the molecular composition and distribution of components within the microscopic feature to be probed with a lateral resolution of 300 nm. Hence the methodology approaches the physical limit for ion imaging of organic components with local concentrations in the % range. In practice, the achievable depth resolution with ULAM-S-SIMS is ultimately limited by the surface roughness of the section. Careful optimisation of the ULAM step has resulted in a surface roughness within 6 nm (R(a) value) at a depth of 21 µm. This offers perspective to achieve 3D analysis with a depth resolution as good as 18 nm at such a large distance from the surface. Furthermore, the ULAM-S-SIMS approach is applicable to materials unamenable to ion beam erosion. However, the method is limited to dealing with, for instance, Si or glass substrates that cannot be sectioned with a microtomy knife. Furthermore, sufficient adhesion between stacked layers or between the coating and substrate is required. However, it is found that the approach is applicable to a wide variety of industrially important (multi)layers of polymers on a polymer substrate.

Ultra-low-angle microtomy and static secondary ion mass spectrometry for molecular depth profiling of UV-curable acrylate multilayers at the nanoscale.

Development of sustainable materials requires methods capable of probing the molecular composition of samples not only at the surface but also in depth. Static secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) characterises the distribution of organic and inorganic compounds at the surface. Ultra-low-angle microtomy (ULAM) has been studied as an alternative or complementing method to the molecular depth profiling with, e.g. C(60)(+) projectiles. Acrylate-based multilayers relevant to industrial inkjet printing have been sectioned at a cutting angle below 1 degrees. In this way, analysis of the section over a distance of 1 microm allows a depth range in the order of a few nm in the original sample to be achieved. Adequate procedures to optimise the ULAM step and minimise or control the cutting artefacts have been developed. The combination of ULAM with S-SIMS has allowed a depth resolution of 10 nm to be obtained for components at a distance of 35 microm from the surface.

TOF-S-SIMS molecular depth profiling of organic bilayers using mechanical wear test methodology.

Recent publications on static secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) focus on molecular depth profiling by using polyatomic or ultra-low energy monoatomic projectiles. Since their applicability depends on the relationship between the ion yield and the depth, which is hard to obtain without extensive studies, a combination of a wear test method with S-SIMS surface analysis was performed in the current study. Using this non-sputtering procedure, the relation between the signal intensity and the local concentration remains in principle the same as that at the surface (which is easy to determine). Mechanical erosion was successfully applied to expose sub-surface material from organic multilayers. Through surface analysis with S-SIMS on the gradually exposed deeper planes, molecular depth profiles could be obtained. The study was conducted on a model system relevant to offset printing, consisting of two polymer layers, containing dyes and a surfactant, cast on an Al substrate.

Ion yield improvement for static secondary ion mass spectrometry by use of polyatomic primary ions.

Static secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) is one of the potentially most powerful and versatile tools for the analysis of surface components at the monolayer level. Current improvements in detection limit (LOD) and molecular specificity rely on the optimisation of the desorption-ionisation (DI) process. As an alternative to monoatomic projectiles, polyatomic primary ion (P.I.) bombardment increases ion yields non-linearly. Common P.I. sources are Ga+ (liquid metal ion gun (LMIG), SF5+ (electron ionisation) and the newer Au(n)+, Bi(n)q+ (both LMIG) and C60+ (electron ionisation) sources. In this study the ion yield improvement obtained by using the newly developed ion sources is assessed. Two dyes (zwitterionic and/or thermolabile polar functionalities on a largely conjugated backbone) were analysed as a thin layer using Ga+, SF5+, C60+, Bi+, Bi3(2+) and Bi5(2+) projectiles under static conditions. The study aims at evaluating the improvement in LOD, useful and characteristic yield and molecular specificity. The corrected total ion count values for the different P.I. sources are compared for different instruments to obtain a rough estimate of the improvements. Furthermore, tentative ionisation and fragmentation schemes are provided to describe the generation of radical and adduct ions. Characteristic ion yields are discussed for the different P.I. sources. An overview of the general appearances of the mass spectra obtained with the different P.I. sources is given to stress the major improvement provided by polyatomic P.I.s in yielding information at higher m/z values.

Laser microprobe with fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer for surface analysis.

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance laser microprobe mass spectrometry (FTICR LMMS) uses focused laser irradiation of solids with a spot of 5 microm and a FTICR mass analyzer for local analysis with high mass resolution. A new ion source design has been developed to improve the extraction and transfer of ions generated in an external laser microprobe source. Calculations predicted trapping of ions initially emitted with angles up to 40 degrees and 60 degrees from the surface and from a distance of 1 mm above the sample, respectively. The analytical performances of the method have been verified on two sets of test samples. First, detection of chemisorbed benzotriazole on copper, average of two monolayers, has been shown with less sample consumption than typically required in static secondary ion mass spectrometry with a time-of-flight analyzer. Second, experiments on a thermal plate for offset printing have shown the feasibility of analysis and quantification of dyes embedded in a polymer matrix.