Depth profiling and imaging capabilities of an ultrashort pulse laser ablation time of flight mass spectrometer

An ultrafast laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometer (AToF-MS) and associated data acquisition software that permits imaging at micron-scale resolution and sub-micron-scale depth profiling are described. The ion funnel-based source of this instrument can be operated at pressures ranging from 10(-8) to similar to 0.3 mbar. Mass spectra may be collected and stored at a rate of 1 kHz by the data acquisition system, allowing the instrument to be coupled with standard commercial Ti:sapphire lasers. The capabilities of the AToF-MS instrument are demonstrated on metal foils and semiconductor wafers using a Ti: sapphire laser emitting 800 nm, similar to 75 fs pulses at 1 kHz. Results show that elemental quantification and depth profiling are feasible with this instrument. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4750974]