The detection sensitivity of the technique is in the ppm – ppb range for all elements from H – U. SIMS involves sputtering of an identifiable area on the sample with a beam of primary ions.  The resulting secondary ions are mass-analyzed to produce mass spectra, depth profiles or chemical maps of the sample area.

• Monitoring of elemental composition with ppm – ppb sensitivity – allows ready identification of dopants, process contaminants, impurities and surface treatments
• Depth profiling from surface to depths of tens of microns- provides characterization of layer structures, buried features and interfaces
• Chemical mapping showing feature sizes down to <1 micron – provides clear diagnosis of fault areas
• Retrospective 3D analysis provides chemical maps and area-selected depth profiles from complex materials
• Cross sectional analysis gives extended information through a structure, particularly effective on complex, thick layer materials.

Typical Applications

• Quantitative depth profiling of dopants & impurities in semiconductor substrates
• Small area profiling of semiconductor device features
• Compositional analysis of glass layer structures
• In-depth investigation of tribological surfaces including wear scars.

Typical Industries using SIMS

• Semiconductor Wafer and Device Manufacturers
• Electronics
• Photonics
• Solar Energy
• Glass
• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Healthcare
• Medical Devices.

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