Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, Vol.16, No.1, 373-376, 1998
Ultrahigh depth resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry with sub-keV grazing O-2(+) beams
Compositional analysis of interfaces in semiconductor materials grown with the most modern equipment requires a substantial improvement of the depth resolution of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The lowering of the impact energy to improve depth resolution is limited on most magnetic-sector instruments to similar to 1.5 keV. In this work it is shown that in the VG IX70S magnetic-sector instrument a reduction of the impact energy to 600 eV is possible. The reduction is achieved by use of a deceleration electrode in the primary beam line, allowing for independent variation of the energy and the incidence angle theta (50 degrees