Depth profiling of organic materials using improved ion beam conditions

We used the so-called dual beam mode of depth profiling to start a systematic investigation of organic depth profiling with a time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometer (TOF-SIMS) instrument. Similar to inorganic profiling, we found the dual beam mode beneficial because sample erosion and sample analysis are decoupled and can be optimised independently. We applied different primary projectiles such as C60, O2 and Cs for sputtering to a variety of organic specimens, using a wide range of impact energies. Results are discussed with respect to the feasibility of the different approaches to organic depth profiling in SIMS.