Using C-60(+) sputtering to improve detection limit of nitrogen in zinc oxide

C-60(+) sputtering was firstly used to determine depth profile of nitrogen in zinc oxide materials by time-of-flight (ToF) SIMS. Compared to traditional Cs+ sputtering depth profiling, the C-60(+) sputtering provides increase in signal intensity by a factor of over 200 and improves the detection limit by a factor of about 10. In addition, our XPS results show that sputtering zinc oxide materials by 10 keV C-60(+) to very little carbon deposition at the bottom of the sputter crater. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.