Intense emission of surface-derived secondary ions from shallow-angle impacts of energetic MeV C60 ions

Impacts of energetic C-60 ions with energies of the order of MeV are excellent ionization methods for highly sensitive secondary ion (SI) mass spectrometry because they can provide SIs necessary for the identification of target materials in high emission yields with high reproducibility. As part of an investigation into their SI emission phenomena with the aim of controlling the mass-analyzed depth range, we measured and characterized the impact angle dependence of SI mass spectra for MeV C-60 ion impacts, and found that shallower angle impacts of MeV C-60 ions can provide surface-sensitive information through intense emission of surface-derived SIs.

Automated summary

Energetic C-60 ions with energies of the order of MeV are effective for highly sensitive secondary ion (SI) mass spectrometry, providing abundant SIs for the identification of target materials. This study investigated the impact angle dependence of SI mass spectra for MeV C-60 ions, revealing that shallower angle impacts can yield surface-sensitive information through intense emission of surface-derived SIs.