MeV-SIMS

MeV-SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) is a new technique for mass spectrometric imaging. Significantly enhanced yields of large molecular secondary ions are achieved by using a primary beam of swift heavy ions. At LIP we have developed a unique dual-polarity Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer system for simultaneous detection of all charged secondary particles originating from a single impact. This allows to study the physical processes involved in desorption and ionization of molecules from the surface. With the special ion optics of the 6 MV Tandem beam line heavy cluster ions can be accelerated to high energies which allows to investigate unexplored ranges of energy deposition.