Instrumentation

• Combined IONTOF TOF.SIMS5-Qtac100 LEIS instrument
• Zygo NewView 200 microscope-based interferometer

The Surface Analysis Facility incorporates SIMS, LEIS, FIB and optical interferometry. The facility provides state-of-the-art analyses of a wide range of surfaces using time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), low energy ion scattering (LEIS), and focussed ion beam (FIB) microscopy with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).

ToF-SIMS is an ultra-high vacuum-based technique for measuring the chemical nature of atoms at and near the surface of materials. The sensitivity of the measurement is often better than parts per million, and the spatial resolution can be within the nano-scale.

Low energy ion scattering (LEIS) is a highly surface-sensitive technique that can measure the chemical composition of just the first atomic monolayer. The facility is unique to the UK and one of a few worldwide.

The above two techniques are interconnected, allowing sample interchange without exposure to the atmosphere and maintaining UHV conditions. Sample preparation facilities are available for top atom and molecule layer characterisation by LEIS and SIMS.

The microscope-based coherence scanning interferometer enables high-resolution measurement of surface topography, including sputtered crater depths.

Research is undertaken at the surface analysis facility in various disciplines, including but not limited to oxide materials for fuel cells, biomaterials, functional nanomaterials, and energy and transportation materials. Much of the research, such as materials for fuel cells, relies on the facility’s isotopic tracer labelling facility and Matlab-based modelling routines to interpret the tracer fraction profile. Research in the facility has resulted in over 40 PhDs and 500 publications.