SBIR-STTR Award

The goal of this proposal is to develop advanced mass spectrometry instrumentation based on the use of slow, highly charged ion (HCI) such as Xe44+ or Au69+. The competitive characteristics of this excitation source for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) arises from the unique power density of ~1E14 W/cm2 that can be delivered into a nanometer-scale surface area. Secondary ion yields in highly charged ion SIMS are increased by a factor of 100 - 1000 as compared to conventional SIMS. This improvement enables chemical structure analysis on a 10 nm length scale through integration of coincidence counting. The proposed research will determine the feasibility of Highly Charged Ion SIMS for industrial applications in the semiconductor and biotech industries. We propose to target (1) advanced metallization: sub-micron copper lines on silicon; and (2) biomolecular assemblies: interface bonding properties as examples where available techniques have been insufficient in addressing critical industry needs. Phase 1 research will be performed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where highly charged ion technology has been developed for about a decade. COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Analytical instrumentation for chemical analysis of nanometer scale surface features.