ASTM E1635-06
(Practice)Standard Practice for Reporting Imaging Data in Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)
Standard Practice for Reporting Imaging Data in Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This practice is to be used for reporting the experimental and data reduction procedures to be described with the publication of the data.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice lists the minimum information necessary to describe the instrumental, experimental, and data reduction procedures used in acquiring and reporting images generated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation:E1635–06
Standard Practice for
Reporting Imaging Data in Secondary Ion Mass
1
Spectrometry (SIMS)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1635; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope instrumentation used, the mounting of the specimen, and the
experimental conditions. For imaging SIMS analysis, addi-
1.1 This practice lists the minimum information necessary
tional information is required on the acquisition and display
to describe the instrumental, experimental, and data reduction
parameters for each image. The information reported will
procedures used in acquiring and reporting images generated
depend primarily on the type of SIMS instrumentation used.
by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).
Two distinct instrumental configurations are used for ion
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
imaging: the ion microscope and the ion microprobe.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
6.2 Experimental Conditions for Acquisition of Ion Micro-
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
scope Images—For stigmatic ion imaging, the mass spectrom-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
eter ion optics project a mass resolved secondary ion image
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
that preserves the lateral relationship between ions sputtered
2. Referenced Documents from the sample onto the plane of an imaging detector.
2
Whenever stigmatic ion images are recorded the configuration
2.1 ASTM Standards:
of the secondary ion optics should be reported, including the
E673 Terminology Relating to Surface Analysis
use and settings of contrast apertures, energy resolving slits,
E1504 Practice for Reporting Mass Spectral Data in Sec-
mass resolution, and so forth. All information regarding the
ondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)
condition of the mass spectrometer that influences the spatial
3. Terminology
resolution of the image should be reported.
6.2.1 Camera Based Systems—Camera-based systems im-
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this guide,
age photons that are produced from the impact of ions onto an
refer to Terminology E673.
appropriate conversion device. In many cases, the secondary
4. Summary of Practice
ion image is visualized via ion-to-electron conversion at a
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micro-channel plate placed in front of a fluorescent screen.
4.1 Experimental conditions and reporting procedures that
The image resolution (typically 0.5 to 1 µm) depends on the
affect SIMS imaging data are presented in order to standardize
configuration of the ion optics and the energy and angular
the reporting of such data and to facilitate comparisons with
distribution of the sputtered ions. The ion image is recorded
other laboratories and analytical techniques.
from the fluorescent screen by a variety of camera systems,
5. Significance and Use
including but not limited to vidicon cameras, intensified
cameras such as the SITcamera, charge-coupled device (CCD)
5.1 Thispracticeistobeusedforreportingtheexperimental
cameras and slow-scan scientific grade CCD cameras. The
and data reduction procedures to be described with the publi-
design of the micro-channel plate assembly and camera system
cation of the data.
used will define the sensitivity and dynamic range of the
6. Information to be Reported
acquired images. Minimum parameters to be specified in
6.1 Standard information to be reported may be found in addition to that stated in Practice E1504 should include the
integration time for each mass, number of pixels in the image,
Practice E1504. This information pertains to the type of SIMS
field-of-view,andthenumberofbitsusedtodigitizetheimage.
A description of the micro-channel plate assembly (or other
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E42 on Surface
ion-to-photon conversion device) used should be stated (that is,
Analysis and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E42.06 on SIMS.
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2006. Published November 2006. Originally
for micro-channel plates: single, double, curved, and so forth,
approved in 1994. Last previous edition approved in 2000 as E1635 – 95 (2000).
and for photon conversion: phosphor plate, scintillator, and so
DOI: 10.1520/E1635-06.
2 forth). Information pertinent to the operation of the camera or
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
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the ASTM website
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