Enhanced surface sensitivity in secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis of organic thin films using size-selected Ar gas-cluster ion projectiles.

A size-selected argon (Ar) gas-cluster ion beam (GCIB) was applied to the secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of a 1,4-didodecylbenzene (DDB) thin film. The samples were also analyzed by SIMS using an atomic Ar(+) ion projectile and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compared with those in the atomic-Ar(+) SIMS spectrum, the fragment species, including siloxane contaminants present on the sample surface, were enhanced several hundred times in the Ar gas-cluster SIMS spectrum. XPS spectra during beam irradiation indicate that the Ar GCIB sputters contaminants on the surface more effectively than the atomic Ar(+) ion beam. These results indicate that a large gas-cluster projectile can sputter a much shallower volume of organic material than small projectiles, resulting in an extremely surface-sensitive analysis of organic thin films.