Development of an Argon Gas Cluster Ion Beam for ToF‐SIMS Analysis

Abstract

Argon gas cluster ion beams (Ar‐GCIBs) are widely used as a sputter and primary beam for analyzing soft materials such as organic and biological samples in secondary ion mass spectrometry. We designed a novel ionization source using Simion simulation to improve the beam generation efficiency, and compared with the experimental results. Simulation results of different operation voltages, which are acceleration and extraction from the ionization source were in good agreement with the experimental results. At Ar pressure of 25 bar, total ion beam currents from the ionization source reached 80 μA. The highest current of cluster in the ion beam was found at cluster sizes of 1400. Simple linear time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer was constructed and then a secondary ion mass spectrum signal of Rhodamine 6G was obtained by using a Ar 1400 + (@10 keV) cluster ion beam.