Development of Molecular Concentration Mapping Techniques Using MeV Focussed Ion Beams

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has developed over the years into a powerful analytical tool for elemental analysis. Over the past 40 years these techniques have been utilized to make molecular concentration maps of surfaces and even to provide full 3D maps of molecular materials. Conventionally low energy atomic and cluster ions (keV) are used to physically sputter the materials from the surface. Recently it has been demonstrated that the SIMS technique is also possible to achieve using higher energy MeV ions and unlike the keV ions the MeV ions also yield a PIXE signal and can be extracted into air, providing a completely new working regime for the SIMS analysis technique. Development of this new MeV-SIMS technique for molecular concentration mapping in combination with Ion Beam Analysis - especially the PIXE technique- for elemental analysis is the target of this CRP; perspective applications are foreseen in the field of art, archaeology, materials science, organic electronics, forensics, geology, bio-medical science etc.