ToF-SIMS The Technique

ToF-SIMS is a siirface-sensitive analytical method that uses a pulsed ion beam to remove molecules from the very outermost surface of the sample. The secondary ions are removed from the uppermost monolayers on the surface and then accelerated into a flight tube their mass is determined by measuring the exact time at which they reach the detector. Three operational modes are available when using ToF-SIMS, namely surface spectrometry, surface imaging, and depth profiling. 

At this point, a number of the critical and experimental issues associated with ToF-SIMS imaging will be discussed, and several recent applications of ToF-SIMS imaging to the study of polymer blend thin films [137] reviewed. 

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