Back to Materials Analysis and Spectroscopy Facility
Photo of Microscopy/Surface Analysis

Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (TOF.SIMS 5)

Contact: Dr. Andrei Dolocan
Email:
Location: EER 6.636

Equipment Type:

Microscopy/Surface Analysis

Surface Analysis

Information the Equipment Can Provide

Ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry (up to 0.001 a.m.u.).

Surface and bulk chemical composition (mass range up to 14,000 a.m.u., elemental sensitivity as high as parts-per-billion and surface sensitivity of a few atomic layers).

  • Instrument Capabilities:
    • Surface Spectroscopy:
      • elemental and molecular information
      • ppm to ppb elemental sensitivity
      • < 1 nm surface sensitivity
      • >10000 mass resolution (m/δm)
      • mass range up 14000 a.m.u.
    • Surface Imaging:
      • lateral resolution < 100 nm
      • parallel mass detection
    • Depth Profiling:
      • depth resolution < 1 nm
      • thin films from < 1 nm to few hundreds μm
    • 3D Analysis:
      • high depth resolution
      • high lateral resolution
      • parallel mass detection
    • Retrospective Data Analysis:
      • complete data recording (mass, position and intensity)
      • data can be revisited anytime for additional analysis without further sample analysis
    • Air-free Sample Transfer Capability:
      • air-free capsule available for sample transfer to and from user glove boxes

Accepted Samples: metals, semiconductors, insulators, organic or inorganic, in solid or powder (needs to be pressed) form

Available Sputtering Species:

  • Analysis Species: Bi1+(30 kV), Bi3+(30 kV), Bi3++ (60 kV), C60+ (20 kV), C60++ (40 kV), C60+++ (60 kV)
  • Sputtering Species: Cs+or O2+(250 V to 2 kV), C60+ (20 kV), C60++ (40 kV), C60+++ (60 kV)

The TOF-SIMS is also equipped with a set of chambers and a capsule (collectively called Rox interface) to transfer air sensitive samples from an argon (or nitrogen) filled glove box to the surface analysis chamber, which is under ultra-high vacuum (UHV). The Rox Interface was designed and developed at the Texas Materials Institute (U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14/445,650 filed July 29, 2014). Unlike commercial interfaces, the Rox interface was designed with a unique innovation, which is that it has a built-in semi-quantitative method to monitor sample transfer reliability and validity.

Additional information on this equipment.

Fees and Policies

  • UT Users: $60/hour
  • Higher Education/State Agencies: $299/hour
  • Corporate/External Users: $299/hour

To become a new user of this facility, please read the Instrument Reservation Information page. If you are already a user you can make a reservation in FBS.