Projects

Project S2 - Development of quantitative analysis methods for compounds and multilayer structures

The aim of this project is to develop valid methods for industrial analysis by XPS and SIMS for inorganic and organic coatings and the development of a standards infrastructure. This project will also develop the knowledge base for frontier measurements using new cluster ion beams.

The objectives of the project are:

• To develop methods, data and an ISO standard for the quantitative analysis of compounds at the outer surfaces of solids.
• To develop methods and data for quantification of contaminated solid surfaces, and the depths of different layers when sputtering to generate the depth profile.
• To develop a new draft ISO standard for calibration of the mass scale and progress a draft standard for repeatability and constancy to publication in ISO/TC 201.
• To develop procedures to establish the linearity of the intensity scale and relative quantification using static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) and to conduct an interlaboratory study.
• To develop methods for molecular depth profiling of thin organic and biomaterial layers at surfaces.
• To provide essential metrology of sputter yields of organic and biomaterials for cluster beams, and to define the fluence limit to avoid damage for molecules and delicate materials by electrons and cluster primary ion beams.
• To provide methods to quantitatively analyse nanometre-scale molecular coatings.
• To further develop NPL’s novel method to determine molecular structure using the Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry Specification (SMILES) fragmentation system.

Project outputs

• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Quantitative molecular depth profiling of organic delta-layers by C-60 ion sputtering and SIMS’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Identification of complex molecules at surfaces: G-SIMS and SMILES fragmentation pathways’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Extracting information on the surface monomer unit distribution of PLGA by ToF-SIMS’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘A comparison of the static SIMS and G-SIMS spectra of biodegradable homo-polyesters’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Imaging G-SIMS: A novel bismuth-manganese source emitter’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘G-SIMS and SMILES: Simulated fragmentation pathways for identification of complex molecules, amino acids and peptides’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Artifacts in the sputtering of inorganics by C-60(n+)’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Cluster ion beam profiling of organics by SIMS - Does sodium affect the molecular ion intensity at interfaces’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘XPS Topofactors: Determining Overlayer Thickness on Particles and Fibres’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘G-SIMS: Relative Effectiveness of Different Monatomic Primary Ion Source Combinations’.
• Publication of a paper entitled ‘Analysis of the Interface Position in C60+ SIMS Depth Profiling’.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the NMS helpdesk at LGC.