Secondary ion mass spectra of alkali halides

Mass spectra of positive and negative secondary ions from various alkali halides have been measured in the Manitoba time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The ions were produced by Cs⁺ and K⁺ bombardment at primary ion energies of 3 to 19 keV for the positive spectra, and 11 to 28 keV for the negative spectra. The ions measured were those emitted within a time interval ～ 20 ns after the primary ion impact. The secondary ion yields are strongly dependent on the sample composition and treatment; prior irradiation may change the yield by an order of magnitude or more. The secondary ion yields also depend strongly on the energy loss of the primary ion, but the ratio of yields of different cluster ions from a given target is almost independent of this parameter. The results appear to be consistent with models in which the clusters are ejected directly from the target, but do not determine whether or not they possess the original surface structure. The results may also be described by a recombination model if the recombination is essentially complete.