High spatial resolution 3D analysis of materials using gallium focused ion beam secondary ion mass spectrometry (FIB SIMS)

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 136; pp. 1028 - 1033
• Main Authors: Tomiyasu, Bunbunoshin, Fukuju, Isamu, Komatsubara, Hirotaka, Owari, Masanori, Nihei, Yoshimasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-03-1998
• Subjects: 3D analysis; Depth profiling; Focused ion beam; Individual particle analysis; Secondary ion mass spectrometry; 3D analysis; 81.70.Jb; Focused ion beam; Individual particle analysis; Secondary ion mass spectrometry; 82.80.Ms; Depth profiling
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-583X(97)00790-8

The sharpness and high density of focused ion beams (FIB) enable micromachining of materials. When a gallium FIB is used as a primary beam for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), 2D analysis with submicron resolution is easily achieved. In situ combination of micromachining and high spatial resolution analysis brings a new field of microbeam analysis of materials. The gallium FIB SIMS apparatus was developed by combining a FIB and a plane-focusing mass analyzer equipped with a multichannel ion detection system (120 channel). Both a high-spatial resolution and a large sputtering rate are realized. Multielement parallel detection has a great advantage for obtaining precise distribution of elements in microstructure samples. In this paper, a new type of 3D analysis and depth profiling technique is introduced and applied to single particle analyses. A spatial resolution of 50 nm for 3D analysis and a depth resolution up to 5 nm were realized by using these methods.