SIMS on the helium ion microscope: A powerful tool for high-resolution high-sensitivity nano-analytics

Abstract

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) is an extremely powerful technique for analysing surfaces, owing in particular to its excellent sensitivity, high dynamic range, very high mass resolution, and ability to differentiate between isotopes. The combination of He/Ne microscopy and SIMS makes it possible not only to obtain SIMS information limited only by the size of the probe–sample interaction (∼10 nm), but also to directly correlate such SIMS images with high-resolution (0.5 nm) secondary electron images of the same zone taken at the same time. This chapter will discuss the feasibility of combining SIMS with Helium Ion Microscopy from a fundamental and instrumental point of view.