Comparison of detection efficiencies of negatively charged gold–alkanethiolate-, gold–sulfur- and gold-clusters in ToF-SIMS

Abstract In order to improve quantification of high mass ions, the influence of cluster composition on detection efficiencies has been studied using a TOF-SIMS IV with the extended capability of postaccelerating ions up to 20 keV. In this experimental study, we focus on the comparison of detection efficiencies for three types of negatively charged secondary cluster ions: gold–alkanethiolate-clusters (Au x M y ), gold–sulfur-clusters (Au x S y ) and gold-clusters (Au x ). The clusters were sputtered from self-assembled monolayers of hexadecanethiols on gold substrates using 10 keV Ar + primary ions. The detection efficiencies were derived on the basis of a function for the secondary electron yield and a fourth-order approximated Poisson probability distribution for electron propagation and amplification within the microchannel plate. In addition to the well-known dependence of detection efficiencies on ion mass and energy, which has already been studied for positively charged ions, we were able to show a similar behaviour for the investigated negatively charged secondary ions. We have observed major variations among the three types of clusters at similar mass and energy as predicted in a theoretical approach. The observed differences are due to the different composition of the investigated clusters which has a major influence on the kinetic ion induced electron emission within the microchannel plate. For the first time it was possible to experimentally verify these predictions for detection efficiencies.