Quantitative Analysis by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Quantitative analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) involves reduction of spectral intensities to compositional values by the use of either empirical sensitivity factors or a physical model of ion emission. Of the several physical models available, the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) model is the one most easily applied to the analysis of an arbitrary multielement specimen. The accuracy of SIMS analysis by both the LTE model and by sensitivity factors has been compared on a series of well-characterized glass samples. Error factor histograms have been prepared for several hundred elemental determinations. For the LTE analysis, approximately 50 percent of the analyses fall within a factor of two of the accepted value, and 80 percent fall within a factor of five. For analysis with elemental sensitivity factors derived from the glasses, approximately 80 percent of the analyses lie within a factor of two and over 95 percent within a factor of five of known values. quantitative analysis materials thermodynamic equilibrium micro-analysis mass spectrometry.