The Practical Aspects of ToF-SIMS Analysis in the Industrial and Contract Laboratory Setting

Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) has emerged as an important analytical tool supporting product development and problem solving for customers in the automotive, coatings, electronics, glass, life sciences, and pharmaceutical markets. Typical analyses include the chemical characterization of surfaces, lateral imaging, depth profiling, identification of trace impurities, quality control, and patent litigation. In general, any successful analytical measurement requires highly reproducible and accurate data. The development and the implementation of standard operating protocols (SOP) or, the more rigorous ISO 17025 accreditation, helps ensure data quality and integrity [1]. The objective of this paper is to highlight the best practices that analytical service providers can use to ensure data quality. These best practices can include monitoring instrument performance, automated procedures for data acquisition, appropriate use of standards and reference materials, and the development and use of spectra libraries for data interpretation.