A Review and Bibliography of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS).

Secondary ion mass spectrometry SIMS is reviewed. Fundamental concepts of SIMS including the advantages and disadvantages are shown. Surface disturbances and fundamental collision phenomenon are discussed. Equipment is shown for SIMS, including the mass analyzer and the energy analyzer. Types of mass spectra are discussed including aspects of initial energy and energy distribution. Selection and use of atomic or polyatomic spectra are discussed along with molecular fingerprint spectra. Ion yield, an important aspect of SIMS analysis, is seen to be heavily influenced by oxygen either in the primary beam or on the surface. The advantages and limitations of depth profiling by SIMS are shown. Methods of neutralizing the positive charge accumulation on the surface are discussed. Two methods of imaging secondary ions are detailed and a combination of the SEM with SIMS is also discussed. The increasing popularity of SIMS is seen to be primarily due to the complementary nature of this technique with other surface methods. Applications of the method either as a stand-alone technique or in use with other techniques are seen to be very diverse. Author