Dependence of Ionization Yields Upon Elemental Composition; Isotopic Variations

Abstract

Owing to its great sensitivity secondary ion mass spectrometry is generally considered as a powerful technique for analyzing surfaces or microvolumes of solid samples despite many kinds of problems that remain to be solved. Among them, the ionization phenomena are directly responsible for the difficulties encountered in quantitative analysis. The subject will be restricted essentially to metallic alloys flooded with oxygen and silicate minerals bombarded with oxygen primary ions. In such experimental conditions, the elemental composition of the target controls the ionization yields which in turn prevents quantitative elemental analysis to be performed in a simple way. Moreover, it could very well be that the processes inducing the dependence of the ionization yields upon elemental composition affect isotopic abundance measurements as well.