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Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) has emerged as one of the most important and versatile surface analytical techniques available for advanced materials research. This arises from its excellent mass resolution, sensitivity and high spatial resolution providing both chemical and distributional (laterally and depth) information for a wide variety of materials and applications. Understanding the various modes of operation and the information that each provides is crucial to the analyst in order to optimise the type of data that is obtained. New developments in primary ion sources and the application of multivariate analysis techniques, which can only extend the versatility and applicability of the technique, are also discussed.

Tunneling junctions having the structure Ag TS −S(CH 2 ) n−1 CH 3 // Ga 2 O 3 /EGaIn allow physical−organic studies of charge transport across selfassembled monolayers (SAMs). In ambient conditions, the surface of the liquid metal electrode (EGaIn, 75.5 wt % Ga, 24.5 wt % In, mp 15.7°C) oxidizes and adsorbs-like other high-energy surfaces-adventitious contaminants. The interface between the EGaIn and the SAM thus includes a film of metal oxide, and probably also organic material adsorbed on this film; this interface will influence the properties and operation of the junctions. A combination of structural, chemical, and electrical characterizations leads to four conclusions about Ag TS −S(CH 2 ) n−1 CH 3 // Ga 2 O 3 /EGaIn junctions. (i) The oxide is ∼0.7 nm thick on average, is composed mostly of Ga 2 O 3 , and appears to be self-limiting in its growth. (ii) The structure and composition (but not necessarily the contact area) of the junctions are conserved from junction to junction. (iii) The transport of charge through the junctions is dominated by the alkanethiolate SAM and not by the oxide or by the contaminants. (iv) The interface between the oxide and the eutectic alloy is rough at the micrometer scale. ■ INTRODUCTIONWe, and others, are developing procedures with which to study charge transport across self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). 1−32We have explored two systems, both based on electrodes made of liquid metals (Hg, and a eutectic alloy of gallium and indium, which we abbreviate as EGaIn) and focused on the latter. The latter system has two major components: (i) a SAM supported by a template-stripped silver (Ag TS ) electrode and contacted by (ii) a "top" electrode of EGaIn (75.5 wt % Ga, 24.5 wt % In, mp 15.7°C 33 ) that is a liquid at room temperature and covered with a thin metal oxide film; we refer to these junctions by a nomenclature defined earlier 1 as Ag TS −SR//Ga 2 O 3 /EGaIn, where R is an organic group (which may range in structure from simple n-alkyl groups to more complex functionalities, e.g., aromatics 28 or ferrocenes 13,34,35 ). These junctions are typically formed, characterized, and used in contact with ambient laboratory atmosphere. In these conditions, the surface of EGaIn oxidizes rapidly and spontaneously (for convenience we indicate the composite structure-oxide skin and metal electrode-as "Ga 2 O 3 / EGaIn") and it-as do all other surfaces-adsorbs adventitious contaminants (e.g., water, organic molecules, particles). The electrical resistance, thickness, and heterogeneity of the composite films of metal oxide and contaminants on the surface (and their variability from electrode to electrode, and from junction to junction) have not been characterized: the most serious ambiguity affecting the measurement of charge transport through Ag TS −SR//Ga 2 O 3 /EGaIn junctions is currently the effect of the oxide skin and adventitious contaminants.

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