Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, SIMS, for Failure Analysis and Prevention

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) works by bombarding the surface of a solid sample with ions, freeing charged atomic and molecular species which are then collected and analyzed. This article explains that SIMS has the ability to detect all elements in the periodic table in addition to inherent depth profiling capabilities, making it an indispensable tool for the characterization and analysis of semiconductor components and materials. It also presents several application examples.