Routine problem solving with the SIMS chemical microscope

Abstract An analysis of surface chemistry is increasingly being used to help solve problems related to adhesion and adhesives. Physical tests have been routinely employed for many years, but the high costs of surface analysis techniques have meant that the complementary chemical information has only been obtained for a much reduced subset of samples. The chemical microscope is a benchtop imaging SIMS instrument that has been specifically designed to overcome this cost barrier. By a combination of low capital cost, automated operation, high reliability, rapid sample throughput and assisted data interpretation, the cost of a routine SIMS analysis has been reduced to approximately 10% of its historical value. Two case studies are presented, the first relating to the exact identification of siloxane contaminants, the second concerned with monitoring the effect of a silane pre-treatment of the surface. The results demonstrate the importance of a routine analysis methodology giving structural information from organic species with a high degree of surface specificity.