Negative Cesium Sputter Ion Source for Generating Cluster Primary Ion Beams for Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Published

April 1, 2001

Author(s)

John G. Gillen, R L. King, B Freibaum, R Lareau, J Bennett, F Chmara

Abstract

The use of a cluster (or polyatomic) primary ion projectile for organic SIMS has been demonstrated to increase the yield of characteristic molecular secondary ions, more efficiently desorb higher molecular weight species and reduce the accumulation of primary beam-induced damage. For depth profiling of semiconductors, a cluster beam may offer substantial improvements in depth resolution. We have recently begun to explore the use of a commercially available negative cesium sputter ion as a means of generating cluster ion beams on our Cameca IMS 4F and 6F magnetic sector SIMS instruments. The principal advantages of using a sputter ion source for cluster generation, as opposed to the SF₅⁺ primary ion source, are the versatility in target selection and the ability to produce cluster ions from virtually any element in the periodic table. In this paper, we report on the use of the sputter ion source for generating carbon cluster primary ions and the application of these ion beams for organic surface characterization and depth profiling of shallow arsenic implants in silicon.

Citation

Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A

Volume

19

Issue

No. 2

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

cluster beam, depth profiling, organic secondary ion mass spectrometry

Citation

Gillen, J. , King, R. , Freibaum, B. , Lareau, R. , Bennett, J. and Chmara, F. (2001), Negative Cesium Sputter Ion Source for Generating Cluster Primary Ion Beams for Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analysis, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A (Accessed March 24, 2025)