Group: ToF-SIMS

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

A large variety of substrates -inorganic hard materials like amorphous carbon, also polymers, and self assembled monolayers as well as solar cells and membranes- can be characterized with SIMS.

Here, a Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectromter (TOF.SIMS5 instrument, ION-TOF, Münster) is applied. ToF-SIMS determines the atomic and molecular composition of the topmost layer of a solid sample. Therefore, the surface is bombarded with high energy Bi clusters (primary ions). Sputtered secondary ions of the sample are separated in a time-of-flight system and counted. Data can be presented as images with lateral resolutions of 300-3000 nm. If the material of the sample is eroded under the ion bombardment a depth profile is obtained.

These analytics are offered through the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility for collaborative projects.

I’m using the electronic lab journal Chemotion and publish data according to the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) in repositories like Chemotion and Radar4KIT.