Development of an Argon Gas Cluster Ion Beam for ToF‐SIMS Analysis

• Published in: Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol. 40; no. 9; pp. 877 - 881
• Main Authors: Lee, Sang Ju, Choi, Chang Min, Min, Boo Ki, Baek, Ji Young, Eo, Jae Yeong, Choi, Myoung Choul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 01.09.2019; 대한화학회
• Subjects: Ar gas cluster ion beam; Gas cluster ion beam; Rhodamine 6G; Soft ionization; Sputter; Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry; 화학
• ISSN: 1229-5949; 0253-2964; 1229-5949
• DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.11840

Argon gas cluster ion beams (Ar‐GCIBs) are widely used as a sputter and primary beam for analyzing soft materials such as organic and biological samples in secondary ion mass spectrometry. We designed a novel ionization source using Simion simulation to improve the beam generation efficiency, and compared with the experimental results. Simulation results of different operation voltages, which are acceleration and extraction from the ionization source were in good agreement with the experimental results. At Ar pressure of 25 bar, total ion beam currents from the ionization source reached 80 μA. The highest current of cluster in the ion beam was found at cluster sizes of 1400. Simple linear time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer was constructed and then a secondary ion mass spectrum signal of Rhodamine 6G was obtained by using a Ar1400+ (@10 keV) cluster ion beam. A secondary ion signal of Rhodamine 6G was obtained with a small number of fragment ions by bombardment with a 10 keV Ar1400+ cluster ion beam.