Application of the surface ionization for the detection of secondary particles in the secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)

A method for postionization in the course of ion sputtering that is based on surface ionization of the sputtered particles is developed. The estimations show that the method allows a significant increase in the sensitivity of the secondary-ion mass spectrometry for several elements. Nonadditive increase in the sputtering coefficient of indium is experimentally studied using the surface-ionization method of postionization when the number of atoms in projectile clusters Bi (m) (+) (m = 1-7) increases at energies 2-10 keV. Such a scheme for the detection of neutral particles can be used in alternative methods for the surface analysis, in particular, laser evaporation of surface and electron-stimulated desorption.