Description

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a technique to analyze the composition of solid surfaces and thin films by sputtering the surface of the specimen with a focused primary ion beam and collecting and analyzing ejected secondary ions. Time-of-flight (TOF) is a method of mass spectrometry in which ions are accelerated by an electric field of known strength. The velocity of the ion depends on the mass-to-charge ratio. The time that it subsequently takes for the particle to reach a detector at a known distance is measured. This time will depend on the mass-to-charge ratio of the particle (heavier particles reach lower speeds).