Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy

Robert Thompson (LCN, and Dept. Electrical and electronic engineering, UCL), DrSarah Fearn (Materials Dept., Imperial College)

ToF-SIMS (ION-TOF V)
Primary ion irradiation ionizes and liberates secondary ions from the surface of the sample, The time of flight through the analysis chamber is then measured. A mass spectrum of the secondary ions is produced. By keeping the dose of primary ions in the static regime (low dose of primary ions) the technique can be said to be none invasive and will only liberate material from the sample surface. By interlacing the analysis beam with more energetic ions the surface can be sputtered away in-between analyses and a depth profile can be produced. Rastering the analysis beam allows spatial information of the origin of secondary ions to be acquired. The instrument can therefore produce images of the surface at a spatial resolution of ~100nm By combining the depth profiling with spatial imaging a 3D reconstruction of the sample can be created identifying the location of specific atomic or molecular species within the sample.

/Cs

The machine offers a choice of both energy and particle for analysis and sputter beams allowing the technique to be tailored to the individual requirements of each material: Analysis beams: Sputter beams: Bismuth and C60 Molecular Oxygen, Caesium, C60

Using TOF SIMS for characterisation of Organic materials

Data already produced

Structure of rubrene molecule C42H28

Enhanced Conductivity studies: CeO2-YSZ Multi-layers 10 nm thick 3D render is the CeO+ layers.
Ruberene in crystalline form

The surface of rubrene is seen to evolve and grow small features, the origin and chemical makeup of these features is as yet unknown, ToF-SIMS studies will be able to answer these unknowns.
1 hour 1 day

Step edge

Beads

7 days 11 months

Evolution of beads: Above are AFM topographic images of rubrene at a step edge

Rubrene, a promising material in the field of organic opto-electronics. Very long exciton diffusion length, broad absorption of visible light and a high field effect mobility 1040cm2/(Vs). An understanding of the surface chemistry and interfacial effects is needed. Previous AFM and PL studies conducted at the LCN have looked at surface evolution and the evolution of defects. From these studies chemical information can only be inferred. Using ToF-SIMS the surface evolution of defects can be analysed and the chemical structure of surface features reported upon.

16 B- Delta layer structure. First 5 layers are 1 nm apart Next 10 layers 5nm apart Final two 1 nm apart.

The research team

Research Fellow For more information please contact Dr: Sarah Fearn 0207 594 6760 s.fearn@imperial.ac.uk LCN Co Investigators Dr N Curson & Dr Sandrine Heutz Nano functional Materials Research Team Dr David McPhail Principal Investigator , Professor John Kilner (CI Fuel Cells), Dr Stephen Skinner (CI Fuel cells), Dr Julian Jones (CI Bio-materials), Professor Bill Lee (CI Nuclear materials), Dr Barbara Shollock (CI Transportation)

Acknowledgements
Department of Materials Imperial College