Mass spectral analysis and quantification of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry data

Abstract

This work highlights the possibility of improving the quantification aspect of Cs-complex ions in SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry), by combining the intensities of all possible Cs-complexes. Identification of all possible Cs-complexes requires quantitative analysis of mass spectrum from the material of interest. The important steps of this mass spectral analysis include constructing fingerprint mass spectra of the constituent species from the table of isotopic abundances of elements, constructing the system(s) of linear equations to get the intensities of those species, solving them, evaluating the solutions and employing a regularization process when required. These steps are comprehensively described and the results of their application on a SIMS mass spectrum obtained from D9 steel are presented. It is demonstrated that results from the summation procedure, which covers entire range of sputtered clusters, is superior to results from single Cs-complex per element. The result of employing a regularization process in solving a mass spectrum from an SS316LN steel specimen is provided to demonstrate the necessity of regularization.

Evaluating cluster counting of Cs complexes in the study of Nitrogen implanted Zirconium

“…A typical example of such overlapping species can be found in Fig. 3 of work published by Balamurugan et al 6 .…”

“…This section summarizes the cluster counting method 6 . A measured mass spectrum is the composite of the fingerprint mass spectra of the species going through the mass spectrometer.…”

“…Such possibilities can bring in matrix effect in this method also. In spite of these complexities, counting the atoms of all elements in all of the Cs complexes was verified to produce a significantly improved composition estimate over the use of only one Cs complex for each element, in the analysis of a pure D9 steel sample 6 . In that system, oxygen was of negligible intensity.…”