ASTM E1162-11(2019)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: E1162 −11 (Reapproved 2019)
Standard Practice for
Reporting Sputter Depth Profile Data in Secondary Ion Mass
Spectrometry (SIMS)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1162; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope E673TerminologyRelatingtoSurfaceAnalysis(Withdrawn
2012)
1.1 This practice covers the information needed to describe
andreportinstrumentation,specimenparameters,experimental
3. Terminology
conditions, and data reduction procedures. SIMS sputter depth
3.1 For definitions of terms used in this practice, see
profiles can be obtained using a wide variety of primary beam
Terminology E673.
excitation conditions, mass analysis, data acquisition, and
processing techniques (1-4).
4. Summary of Practice
1.2 Limitations—This practice is limited to conventional
4.1 Experimental conditions and variables that affect SIMS
sputterdepthprofilesinwhichinformationisaveragedoverthe
sputter depth profiles (1-4) and tabulated raw data (where
analyzed area in the plane of the specimen. Ion microprobe or
feasible) are reported to facilitate comparisons to other labo-
microscope techniques permitting lateral spatial resolution of
ratories or specimens, and to results of other analytical tech-
secondary ions within the analyzed area, for example, image
niques.
depth profiling, are excluded.
5. Significance and Use
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
5.1 This practice is used for reporting the experimental
standard.
conditions as specified in Section 6 in the “Methods” or
“Experimental” sections of other publications (subject to
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
editorial restrictions).
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
5.2 The report would include specific conditions for each
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
data set, particularly, if any parameters are changed for
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
different sputter depth profile data sets in a publication. For
1.5 This international standard was developed in accor-
example, footnotes of tables or figure captions would be used
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
to specify differing conditions.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom- 6. Information to Be Reported
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
6.1 Instrumentation:
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
6.1.1 IfastandardcommercialSIMSsystemisused,specify
the manufacturer and instrument model number and type of
2. Referenced Documents
analyzer, such as, magnetic sector, quadrupole, time-of-flight,
and so forth. Specify, the model numbers and manufacturer of
2.1 ASTM Standards:
any accessory or auxiliary equipment relevant to the depth
profiling study (for example, special specimen stage, primary
mass filter, primary ion source, electron flood gun, vacuum
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E42 on Surface
pumps, data acquisition system, and source of software, etc.).
Analysis and is the direct reponsibility of Subcommittee E42.06 on SIMS.
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2019. Published November 2019. Originally 6.1.2 If a nonstandard commercial SIMS system is used,
approved in 1987. Last previous edition approved in 2011 as E1162–11. DOI:
specify the manufacturer and model numbers of components
10.1520/E1162-11R19.
(for example, primary ion source, mass analyzer, data system,
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references at the end of this
and accessory equipment).
standard.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
the ASTM website. www.astm.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E1162 − 11 (2019)
6.2 Specimen: used for each measurement of each ion of interest. For analog
detection, give the detector system time constant. For pulse
6.2.1 Describe the specimen as completely as possible. For
counting detection, give the pulse pair resolution including
example, specify its bulk composition, preanalysis history,
dead time corrections. For rapidly rastered primary beams,
physical dimensions. If the specimen contains dopants, for
correct intensities (counts/second) to instantaneous values by
example, semiconductors, report the dopant type and concen-
multiplying by the ratio of total sputtered area to the analyzed
tration. For multicomponent specimens, state the degree of
area (important procedure to help assess possible detector
specimen homogeneity. Describe any known contaminants.
saturation limitations (5)).
6.2.2 State the method of mounting and positioning the
specimen for analysis. Specify any physical treatment of the 6.3.4 Vacuum—Specify pressures in the primary column,
specimenmountedintheSIMSanalysischamber(forexample, specimen chamber and mass spectrometer prior to and during
heated, cooled, electron bombarded, and so forth). Note the sputterdepthprofiling,includingthetypeofvacuumpumping.
specimen potential relative to ground. Describe the method of Also give the composition of the residual gas, if available. If
specimen charge compensation used (if any), for example, flooding of the sample surface region or backfilling of the
conductive coatings or grid, electron flooding, etc. analysis chamber with reactive gases (for example, oxygen) is
used give the details of the procedure including the partial
6.3 Experimental Conditions:
pressure of the reactive gas.
6.3.1 Primary Ion Source—Give the following parameters
wheneverpossible:Compositionofbeam(ifmassfiltered,give 6.4 Quantification by Data Reduction:
16 −
the specific ion and isotope, for example, O ); angle of
6.4.1 Concentrations—If any elemental concentrations are
incidence (relative to the surface normal); ion beam energy;
presented,stateclearlythemethodologyusedforquantification
charge state and polarity; current (including the method used
(6 and 7). In addition, specify the details of any external or
for measurement, for example, Faraday cup); beam diameter
internal standards used including methods for normalization in
(including the method used for measurement); size and shape
comparing ion intensities in reference materials to ion
...