MRI: Aquisition of an Imaging Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (ToF SIMS)

ABSTRACT With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Acquisition Program, the Department of Chemistry at SUNY at Buffalo will obtain a Imaging Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (ToF SIMS) This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas related to materials research a) materials for spintronics science and engineering; b) nanomaterials (including particles, wires, composites); c) polymers and polymeric biomaterials, and d) sensors based on biomaterials. The Imaging Time of Flight Secondary Mass Spectrometer enables researchers to probe the chemical composition of surfaces and thin films. The technique bombards a surface with ions prepared in an ion source. This dislodges material from the surface that is analyzed by the mass spectrometer. This probes the surface several atom layers deep providing a depth profile. The ion beam will also scan over the material giving a three dimionsional image of the surface. This allows researchers to correlate the chemical composition with the properties of materials and devices at the nano scale level. The interdisciplinary studies that will be carried out using this instrument will have an impact in materials, physics, chemistry, biophysical chemistry, geology and in engineering. The undergraduate and graduate students who will use the equipment for their research projects will be directly introduced to imaging science and nanotechnology.