Molecular SIMS imaging; spatial resolution and molecular sensitivity: Have we reached the end of the road? Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

This article describes how advances in instrument development facilitate the generation of high-contrast secondary ion images by employing polyatomic ion beams and sampling in excess of the traditional static limit. The ability to perform high primary ion fluence molecular imaging with good mass resolution and spatial resolution on an improved time scale provides a new means of exploring the challenges presented by biological analysis with SIMS and provides an insight into requirements of sample preparation and data interpretation. These benefits and challenges are highlighted using examples of ToF-SIMS imaging of rat brain and rat kidney tissue sections. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.