Estimation of useful yield in surface analysis using single photon ionisation

Abstract Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), laser sputter neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) and laser desorption photoionisation (LDPI) have been used to investigate the desorption of molecules from self-assembled monolayers of phenylsulphides. LDPI, using an F2 excimer laser to single photon ionise gave the lowest fragmentation. A useful yield greater than 0.5% was found for analysis of diphenyldisulphide self-assembled monolayers. It is shown that using a free electron laser to postionise will lead, in the future, to analysis of many atoms and molecules with useful yields approaching 30%.