The University of North Texas atomic mass spectrometry facility for detection of impurities in electronic materials and metals

Abstract

An accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility is being developed at the University of North Texas through a collaboration between UNT and Texas Instruments Inc. The computer controlled AMS instrument will presently allow automatic mass scans of stable isotopes in solid materials using a conventional NEC SNICS ion source. Even though the SNICS ion source contaminates the sample, the AMS instrument allows molecular interference-free mass scans to be obtained with a higher sensitivity than SIMS for some elements, A new low sample contamination microbeam ion source under construction should allow sensitivities of ppt (1 part in 10 12 or 10 10 atoms/cm 3) for any element in the periodic table, as well as sputter depth profiling and secondary electron imaging of a sample.