Subnanometre depth resolution in sputter depth profiling of Si layers using grazing‐incident low‐energy O2+ and Ar+ ions

The sputter damage profiles of Si(100) by low‐energy O₂⁺ and Ar⁺ ion bombardment at various angles of incidence were measured using medium‐energy ion scattering spectroscopy. It was observed that the damaged Si surface layer can be minimized down to 0.5–0.6 nm with grazing‐incident 500 eV Ar⁺ and O₂⁺ ions at 80°. To illustrate how the damaged layer thickness can be decreased down to 0.5 nm, molecular dynamics simulations were used. The SIMS depth resolution estimated with trailing‐edge decay length for a Ga delta‐layer in Si with grazing‐incident 650 eV O₂⁺ was 0.9 nm, which is in good agreement with the measured damaged layer thickness. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhancement of the positive secondary ion yield during low‐energy,dual‐beam depth profiling of polytetrafluoroethylene with 1‐keV Cs+

This work documents the behaviour of the positive secondary ion yield of bulk polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) under dual‐beam depth profiling conditions employing 1 keV Ar⁺, Cs⁺ and SF₅⁺. A unique chemical interaction is observed in the form of a dramatic enhancement of the positive secondary ion yield when PTFE is dual‐beam profiled with 1 keV Cs⁺. The distinct absence of such an enhancement is noted for comparison on two non‐fluorinated polymers, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The bulk PTFE was probed using 15‐keV, ⁶⁹Ga⁺ primary ions in dual beam mode under static conditions; 1‐keV Ar⁺ (a non‐reactive, light, noble element), Cs⁺ (a heavier metallic ion known to form clusters) and SF₅⁺ (a polyatomic species) served as the sputter ion species. The total accumulated primary ion dose was of the order of 10¹⁵ ions/cm², which is well beyond the static limit. The enhancement of the positive secondary yield obtained when profiling with 1‐keV Cs⁺ far exceeds that obtained when SF₅⁺ is employed. An explanation of this apparent reactive ion effect in PTFE is offered in terms of polarisation of C? F bonds by Cs⁺ in the vicinity of the implantation site thereby predisposing them to facile scission. The formation of peculiar, periodic Cs_xF_y⁺ (where y = x ? 1) and Cs_xC_yF_z⁺ clusters that can extend to masses approaching 2000 amu are also observed. Such species may serve as useful fingerprints for fluorocarbons that can be initiated via pre‐dosing a sample with low‐energy Cs⁺ prior to static 15‐keV Ga⁺ analysis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Depth profiling of Irganox‐3114 nanoscale delta layers in a matrix of Irganox‐1010 using conventional Cs+ and O2+ ion beams

Depth profiling of an organic reference sample consisting of Irganox 3114 layers of 3 nm thickness at depths of 51.5, 104.5, 207.6 and 310.7 nm inside a 412 nm thick Irganox 1010 matrix evaporated on a Si substrate has been studied using the conventional Cs⁺ and O₂⁺ as sputter ion beams and Bi⁺ as the primary ion for analysis in a dual beam time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometer. The work is an extension of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards project on depth profiling of organic multilayer materials. Cs⁺ ions were used at energies of 500 eV, 1.0 keV and 2.0 keV and the O₂⁺ ions were used at energies of 500 eV and 1.0 keV. All four Irganox 3114 layers were identified clearly in the depth profile using low mass secondary ions. The depth profile data were fitted to the empirical expression of Dowsett function and these fits are reported along with the full width at half maxima to represent the useful resolution for all the four delta layers detected. The data show that, of the conditions used in these experiments, an energy of 500 eV for both Cs⁺ beam and O₂⁺ beam provides the most useful depth profiles. The sputter yield volume per ion calculated from the slope of depth versus ion dose matches well with earlier reported data. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of the afterglow time regime in pulsed radiofrequency glow discharge time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

The pulsed power operation mode of a radiofrequency (rf) glow discharge time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer was investigated, for several ions, in terms of intensity profiles along each pulse period. Particular attention was paid to the plateau and transient afterglow regions. An rf pulse period of 4 ms and a duty cycle of 50% was selected to evaluate the influence of discharge parameters in the afterglow delay and shape of Ar⁺, Ar₂⁺ and several analytes (Br, Cl, Cu) contained in polymeric layers. Pulse shapes of Ar⁺ and Ar₂⁺ ions vary with pressure and power. At low pressures the highest intensity is observed in the plateau while at higher pressures (>600 Pa) the afterpeak is the dominant region. Although the influence of the applied power is less noticeable, a widening of the afterglow time regime occurs for Ar⁺ when increasing the power. Maximum intensity of the argon signal is measured in the afterglow at 30 W, while the area of such afterpeak increases with power. The maximum intensity of Ar₂⁺ is obtained at the highest power employed (60 W) and the ratio maximum intensity/afterglow area remains approximately constant with power. Analytes with ionization potentials below (Cu) or just above (Br) the argon metastable energy show maxima intensities after argon ions decay, indicating they could be ionized by collisions with metastable Ar atoms. Chlorine signals are observed in the afterglow despite their ionization potential is well above the energy of argon metastable levels. Moreover, they follow a similar pattern to that observed for Ar₂⁺, indicating that charge‐transfer process with Ar₂⁺ could play a significant role. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced surface sensitivity in secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis of organic thin films using size‐selected Ar gas‐cluster ion projectiles

A size‐selected argon (Ar) gas‐cluster ion beam (GCIB) was applied to the secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of a 1,4‐didodecylbenzene (DDB) thin film. The samples were also analyzed by SIMS using an atomic Ar⁺ ion projectile and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compared with those in the atomic‐Ar⁺ SIMS spectrum, the fragment species, including siloxane contaminants present on the sample surface, were enhanced several hundred times in the Ar gas‐cluster SIMS spectrum. XPS spectra during beam irradiation indicate that the Ar GCIB sputters contaminants on the surface more effectively than the atomic Ar⁺ ion beam. These results indicate that a large gas‐cluster projectile can sputter a much shallower volume of organic material than small projectiles, resulting in an extremely surface‐sensitive analysis of organic thin films. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ion beam induced emissions from solid europium compounds

Impact of energetic heavy particles on europium compound surfaces gives rise to radiative optical emission from reflected and sputtered particles and from the excited states of the solid compounds. In the present paper we discuss the optical spectrum and the sputtered secondary ion mass spectrum observed when solid europium oxide (Eu₂O₃) and europium chloride (EuCl₃) are bombarded with 90 keV Ar⁺ ions from an ion accelerator. We observe the reduction reaction in solid europium chloride (EuCl₃) by bombardment with a 20 A/cm² beam of 90 keV Ar⁺ ions.     

Improvements in quantification accuracy of inorganic time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis of silicate materials by using C60 primary ions

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is a very useful tool for the comprehensive characterization of samples by in situ measurements. A pulsed primary ion beam is used to sputter secondary ions from the surface of a sample and these are then recorded by a time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. The parallel detection of all elements leads to very efficient sample usage allowing the comprehensive analysis of sub‐micrometre sized samples. An inherent problem is accurate quantification of elemental abundances which mainly stems from the so‐called matrix effect. This effect consists of changes in the sputtering and ionization efficiencies of the secondary neutrals and ions due to different sample compositions, different crystal structure or even different crystallographic orientations. Here we present results obtained using C₆₀ molecules as a new primary ion species for inorganic analyses. The results show an improvement in quantification accuracy of elemental abundances, achieving relative errors as small as the certified uncertainties for the analyzed silicate standards. This improvement is probably due to the different sputter mechanism for C primary ions from that for single atomic primary ions such as Ga⁺, Cs⁺ or Ar⁺. The C cluster breaks up on impact, distributing the energy between its constituent carbon atoms. In this way it excavates nano‐craters, rather than knocking out single atoms or molecules from the surface via a collision cascade, leading to a more reproducible sputter process and much improved quantification. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An effect of measurement conditions on the depth resolution for low‐energy dual‐beam depth profiling using TOF‐SIMS

An effect of measurement conditions on the depth resolution was investigated for dual‐beam time of flight‐secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling of delta‐doped‐boron multi‐layers in silicon with a low‐energy sputter ion (200 eV – 2 keV O₂⁺) and with a high‐energy primary ion (30 keV Bi⁺). The depth resolution was evaluated by the intensity ratio of the first peak and the subsequent valley in B⁺ depth profile for each measurement condition. In the case of sputtering with the low energy of 250 eV, the depth resolution was found to be affected by the damage with the high‐energy primary ion (Bi⁺) and was found to be correlated to the ratio of current density of sputter ion to primary ion. From the depth profiles of implanted Bi⁺ primary ion remaining at the analysis area, it was proposed that the influence of high‐energy primary ion to the depth resolution can be explained with a damage accumulation model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tailoring and investigation of surface chemical nature of virgin and ion beam modified muscovite mica

We report that the surface chemical properties of muscovite mica [KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂] like important multi-elemental layered substrate can be precisely tailored by ion bombardment. The detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies of a freshly cleaved as well as 12-keV Ar⁺ and N⁺ ion bombarded muscovite mica surfaces show immense changes of the surface composition due to preferential sputtering of different elements and the chemical reaction of implanted ions with the surface. We observe that the K atoms on the upper layer of mica surface are sputtered most during the N⁺ or Ar⁺ ions sputtering, and the negative aluminosilicate layer is exposed. Inactive Ar atoms are trapped, whereas chemically reactive N atoms form silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) and aluminum nitride (AlN) during implantation. On exposure to air after ion bombardment, the mica surface becomes more active to adsorb C than the virgin surface. The adsorbed C reacts with Si in the aluminosilicate layer and forms silicon carbide (SiC) for both Ar and N bombarded mica surfaces. Besides the surface chemical change, prolonged ion bombardment develops a periodic ripple like regular pattern on the surface.     

Ion formation processes in the afterpeak time regime of pulsed glow discharge plasmas

The formation of ions following the termination of power in a pulsed glow discharge ion source is investigated. The populations of ionized species containing sputtered atoms M⁺, M ₂ ¹ :, and MAr⁺ are observed to maximize after the termination of discharge power. Collisions involving sputtered atoms and metastable argon atoms, Penning and associative ionization, are considered to be responsible for the formation of ions in the discharge afterpeak time regime. The domination of these ion formation processes during the afterpeak time regime is supported by the results from investigations of discharge operating parameters, metastable argon atom quenching, and ion kinetic energy distributions.     

Medium energy ion irradiation of Ge surface – search for a better understanding of the surface nano‐patterning

We report the morphological changes on Ge surfaces upon 50 keV Ar⁺ and 100 keV Kr⁺ beam irradiation at 60° angle of incidence. The Ge surfaces having three different amorphous–crystalline (a/c) interfaces achieved by the pre‐irradiation of 50 keV Ar⁺ beam at 0°, 30° and 60° with a constant fluence of 5 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm² were further processed by the same beam at higher fluences viz. 3 × 10¹⁷, 5 × 10¹⁷, 7 × 10¹⁷ and 9 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm² to understand the mechanism of nano‐scale surface patterning. The Kr⁺ beam irradiation was carried out only on three fresh Ge surfaces with ion fluences of 3 × 10¹⁷, 5 × 10¹⁷ and 9 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm² to compare the influence of projectile mass on surface patterning. Irrespective of the depth of a/c interface, the nanoscale surface patterning was completely missing on Ge surface with Ar⁺ beam irradiation. However, the surface patterning was evidenced upon Kr⁺ beam irradiation with similar ion fluences. The wavelength and the amplitude of the ripples were found to increase with increasing ion fluence. In the paper, the mass redistribution at a/c interface, the incompressible solid flow through amorphous layer, the angular distribution of sputtering/backscattering yields and the generation of non‐uniform stress across the amorphous layer are discussed, particularly in analogy with low energy experiments, to get better understanding of the mechanism of nanoscale surface patterning by the ion beams. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A solid‐state oxidation of 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidinium 4‐methylbenzenesulfinate to 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidinium 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate

The organic acid–base complex 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidinium 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate, C₅H₁₄N₃⁺·C₇H₇O₃S⁻, was obtained from the corresponding 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidinium 4‐methylbenzenesulfinate complex, C₅H₁₄N₃⁺·C₇H₇O₂S⁻, by solid‐state oxidation in air. Comparison of the two crystal structures reveals similar packing arrangements in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c, with centrosymmetric 2:2 tetramers being connected by four strong N—H...O=S hydrogen bonds between the imine N atoms of two 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidinium bases and the O atoms of two acid molecules.     

Repair of defects created by Ar+ sputtering on graphite surface by annealing as confirmed using ToF‐SIMS and XPS

Defects were created on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) by sputtering with an Ar⁺ ion beam, then characterized using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) at 500°C. In the XPS C1s spectrum of the sputtered HOPG, a sp³ carbon peak appeared at 285.3 eV, representing surface defects. In addition, 2 sets of peaks, the C_x⁻ and C_xH⁻ ion series (where x = 1, 2, 3...), were identified in the ToF‐SIMS negative ion spectrum. In the positive ion spectrum, a series of C_xH₂^+• ions indicating defects was observed. Annealing of the sputtered samples under Ar was conducted at different temperatures. The XPS and ToF‐SIMS spectra of the sputtered HOPG after 800°C annealing were observed to be similar to the spectra of the fresh HOPG. The sp³ carbon peak had disappeared from the C1s spectrum, and the normalized intensities of the C_xH⁻ and C_xH₂^+• ions had decreased. These results indicate that defects created by sputtering on the surface of HOPG can be repaired by high‐temperature annealing.     

10‐Methyl‐ and 9,10‐dimethyl­acridinium methyl sulfate

The title compounds, C₁₄H₁₂N⁺·CH₃O₄S^?, (I), and C₁₅H₁₄N⁺·CH₃O₄S^?, (II), respectively, crystallize with the planar 10‐methylacridinium or 9,10‐di­methyl­acridinium cations arranged in layers, parallel to the twofold axis in (I) and perpendicular to the 2₁ axis in (II). Adjacent cations in both compounds are packed in a `head‐to‐tail' manner. The methyl sulfate anion only exhibits planar symmetry in (II). The cations and anions are linked through C—H?O interactions involving three O atoms of the anion, six acridine H atoms and the CH₃ group on the N atom in (I), and the four O atoms of the anion, three acridine H atoms and the carbon‐bound CH₃ group in (II). The methyl sulfate anions are oriented differently in the two compounds relative to the cations, being nearly perpendicular in (I) but parallel in (II). Electrostatic interaction between the ions and the network of C—H?O interactions leads to relatively compact crystal lattices in both structures.     

The sodium salt of 2‐hydroxy‐5‐nitrobenzylsulfonic acid

The structural data for sodium 2‐hydroxy‐5‐nitro­benzyl­sulfonate monohydrate, Na⁺·C₇H₆NO₆S^?·H₂O, which mimics an artificial substrate for human aryl­sulfatase A, viz. p‐­nitrocatechol sulfate, reveal that the geometric parameters of the substrate and its analogue are very similar. Two water mol­ecules, the phenolic O atom and three sulfonate O atoms form the coordination sphere of the Na⁺ ion, which is a distorted octahedron. The Na⁺ cations and the O atoms join to form a chain polymer.     

20‐Di­cyano­methyl­ene‐5,8,11,14‐tetraoxa‐2,17‐di­thia­bi­cyclo­[16.4.1]­tricosa‐1(23),18,21‐triene and its mercury(II) dichloride complex

The structures of the title compound, C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₄S₂, and its mercury(II) dichloride complex, dichloro{20‐di­cyano­methyl­ene‐5,8,11,14‐tetraoxa‐2,17‐di­thia­bi­cyclo­[16.4.1]­tricosa‐1(23),18,­21‐tri­ene‐κ⁴O,κS¹⁷}mercury(II), [HgCl₂(C₂₀­H₂₄­N₂­O₄­S₂)], have been determined by X‐ray crystallographic analyses. The mercury(II) dichloride complex has two independent mol­ecules of [HgCl₂(C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₄S₂)] in the lattice. The mercury(II) ion has pentagonal bipyramidal coordination which involves one S atom, four O atoms and two Cl^? ions.     

Surface analysis of nitride layers formed on Fe‐based alloys through plasma nitride process

Nitriding phenomena that occur on the surfaces of pure Fe and Fe? Cr alloy (16 wt% Cr) samples were investigated. An Ar + N₂ mixture‐gas glow‐discharge plasma was used so that surface nitriding could occur on a clean surface etched by Ar⁺ ion sputtering. In addition, the metal substrates were kept at a low temperature to suppress the diffusion of nitrogen. These plasma‐nitriding conditions enabled us to characterize the surface reaction between nitrogen radicals and the metal substrates. The emission characteristics of the band heads of the nitrogen molecule ion (N₂⁺) and nitrogen molecule from the glow‐discharge plasma suggest that the active nitrogen molecule is probably the major nitriding reactant. AES and angle‐resolved XPS were used to characterize the thickness of the nitride layer and the concentration of elements and chemical species in the nitride layer. The thickness of the nitride layer did not depend on the metal substrate type. An oxide layer with a thickness of a few nanometers was formed on the top of the nitride layer during the nitriding process. The oxide layer consisted of several species of N_x‐Fe_y‐O, NO⁺, and NO₂^?. In the Fe? Cr alloy sample, these oxide species could be reduced because chromium is preferentially nitrided. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Construction of Hierarchical Nanotubes Assembled from Ultrathin V3S4@C Nanosheets towards Alkali‐Ion Batteries with Ion‐Dependent Electrochemical Mechanisms

Ultrathin core–shell V₃S₄@C nanosheets assembled into hierarchical nanotubes (V₃S₄@C NS‐HNTs) are synthesized by a self‐template strategy and evaluated as general anodes for alkali‐ion batteries. Structural/physicochemical characterizations and DFT calculations bring insights into the intrinsic relationship between crystal structures and electrochemical mechanisms of the V₃S₄@C NS‐HNTs electrode. The V₃S₄@C NS‐HNTs are endowed with strong structural rigidness owing to the layered VS₂ subunits and interlayer occupied V atoms, and efficient alkali‐ion adsorption/diffusion thanks to the electroactive V₃S₄‐C interfaces. The resulting V₃S₄@C NS‐HNTs anode exhibit distinct alkali‐ion‐dependent charge storage mechanisms and exceptional long‐durability cyclic performance in storage of K⁺, benefiting from synergistic contributions of pseudocapacitive and reversible intercalation/de‐intercalation behaviors superior to those of the conversion‐reaction‐based Li⁺‐/Na⁺‐storage counterparts.     

Cation Effect on Formation of Preyssler‐type 30‐Tungsto‐5‐phosphate: Enhanced Yield of Na‐encapsulated Derivative and Direct Synthesis of Ca‐ and Bi‐Encapsulated Derivatives

The effect of cations in a reaction mixture for the preparation of the Preyssler‐Jeannin‐Pope type 30‐tungsto‐5‐phosphate [P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀Na]^14– is investigated. Reaction of phosphate and tungstate with a P/W ratio of ca. 3.9 in an acidic aqueous solution without cations selectively leads to the Dawson‐type 18‐tungsto‐2‐phosphate, [P₂W₁₈O₆₂]^6–. Amongst all the alkali cations, only Na⁺ allows formation of the Preyssler‐type polyanion [P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀Na]^14–, with an encapsulated Na⁺ ion, and the product yield can be improved by increasing Na⁺ amount. The presence of Li⁺ ions instead results in the Dawson‐type polyanion [P₂W₁₈O₆₂]^6–, whereas K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺ selectively result in the Keggin‐type polyanion [PW₁₂O₄₀]^3–. An improved synthetic procedure for the Na⁺‐encapsulated Preyssler‐ion leading to a higher isolated yield is presented. Furthermore, addition of Ca²⁺ and Bi³⁺ compounds allows formation of the Ca²⁺‐ and Bi³⁺‐encapsulated Preyssler‐type polyanions, [P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀Ca]^13– and [P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀Bi]^12–, respectively. Furthermore, single‐crystal XRD structure of the Bi³⁺‐encapsulated Preyssler‐type polyanions, [P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀Bi]^12–, is presented for the first time.     

Supramolecular architectures of succinates of 1‐hydroxypropan‐2‐aminium derivatives

Aminoalkanol and aroxyalkyl derivatives are known as potential anticonvulsants. Two new salts, namely bis{(R,S)‐N‐[2‐(2,6‐dimethylphenoxy)ethyl]‐1‐hydroxypropan‐2‐aminium} succinate ( 1s ), C₁₃H₂₂NO₂⁺·0.5C₄H₄O₄²⁻, and bis{(S)‐(+)‐N‐[2‐(2,6‐dimethylphenoxy)ethyl]‐1‐hydroxypropan‐2‐aminium} succinate ( 2s ), C₁₃H₂₂NO₂⁺·0.5C₄H₄O₄²⁻, have been prepared and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The N atoms are protonated by proton transfer from succinic acid. Salt 1s crystallizes in the space group P2₁/n with one cation and half an anion in the asymmetric unit across an inversion centre, while ( 2s ) crystallizes in the space group P2₁ with four cations and two anions in the asymmetric unit. The hydroxy group of the cation of 1s is observed in two R/S disorder positions. The crystals of these two salts display similar supramolecular architectures (i.e. two‐dimensional networks), built mainly by intermolecular N⁺—H…O^δ− and O—H…O^δ− hydrogen bonds, where `δ−' represents a partial charge. The succinate anions are engaged in hydrogen bonds, not only with protonated N atoms, but also with hydroxy groups.