Photo ion spectrometer

A method of performing efficient quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis of atomic components removed from a sample, comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating near said sample a volume containing said selected atomic component;
• (b) ionizing resonantly selected neutral ones of said selected atomic components in said volume during one cycle of said method and in the next cycle nonresonantly ionizing neutral ones of said selected atomic components in said volume;
• (c) extracting said ionized selected atomic components for said time of flight quantitative spectroscopic analysis;
• (d) analyzing said extracted selected atomic components;
• and
• (e) continuing said method of analysis of steps (a)-(d) until completion of said quantitative, time of flight spectroscopic analysis of said resonantly ionized and said nonresonantly ionized selected atomic components removed from said sample.

A method of performing quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis of atomic components removed from a sample using radiation, comprising the steps of:

• irradiating said sample with said radiation and generating a volume containing secondary ion and neutral forms of said atomic components;
• ionizing selectively said neutral form of said atomic components during one cycle of the method and extracting said ionized form of said neutral atomic components for one type of said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• extracting said secondary ion form of said atomic components during another cycle of the method for performing another type of said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• and
• analyzing said ionized form of said neutral atomic components during said one type of quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis and analyzing said secondary ion form of said atomic components during said another type of quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• and
• sensing said analyzed atomic components for performing said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis.

A method for performing quantitative spectroscopic analysis of atomic components at selected depths in a sample using selected radiation beams to remove from said sample neutral and secondary ion forms of said atomic components, comprising the steps of:

• (a) irradiating said sample using one of said selected radiation beams to remvoe said atomic components from said sample for said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• (b) ionizing said neutral forms of said atomic components removed from said sample by said selected radiation beam, said step of ionizing selectively performed resonantly or nonresonantly using one of said radiation beams;
• (c) extracting selectively during a first cycle said ionized neutral forms of said atomic components and during a subsequent cycle extracting said secondary ion forms of said atomic components removed from said sample by said selected radiation beam;
• (d) performing said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis of said extracted atomic components;
• and
• (e) selectively removing material from said sample to said selected depth using one of said selected radiation beams and performing steps (a)-(d) until completion of said time of flight spectroscopic analysis.

An apparatus for performing different types of quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis of atomic components removed from a sample using a radiation beam, comprising:

• means for irradiating said sample with said radiation beam generating a volume containing secondary ion and neutral forms of said atomic components;
• means for ionizing selectively said neutral forms of said atomic components during one cycle of operation of said apparatus and extracting said ionized neutral form of said atomic component to perform one of said types of quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• means for extracting said secondary ion form of said atomic component during another cycle of operation of said apparatus to perform another of said types of quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• means responsive to said extracted atomic components for sensing said extracted atomic components and generating an intensity signal associated with said different types of quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis;
• amplifier means responsive to said intensity signal for generating an amplified intensity signal for performing one of said different types of quantitative time of flight specrtroscopic analysis;
• pulse counting means, responsive to said amplified intensity signal associated with said ionized neutral form of said atomic component, for generating a first output signal having a predetermined time width;
• and
• a transient recorder for switching between the output of said pulse counting means and said amplifier means, said first output signal from said pulse counting means processed by said transient recorder to perform said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis associated with said ionized neutral form of said atomic component and said amplified intensity signal input directly to said transient recorder processed by said transient recorder to perform said quantitative time of flight spectroscopic analysis associated with said secondary ion form of said atomic component.

A method for quantitative spectroscopic analysis of a sample using a spectrometer to measure the quantity of a selected atomic component removed from said sample by laser beam bombardment, comprising the steps of:

• bombarding for a preselected short time period less than about twenty picoseconds said sample with said laser beam and generating a volume near said sample containing said selected atomic component, said short time period calculated to substantially avoid forming a plasma state of said selected atomic component generated by said laser beam;
• applying at least one radiation beam pulse to said atomic component volume for achieving ionization of said selected atomic components;
• extracting said ionized atomic compnent from said volume nearest said sample;
• and
• detecting said extracted selected atomic component to determine the relative quantity of said selected atomic component in said sample.

A method for quantitative spectroscopic analysis of a sample using a spectrometer to measure the quantity of a selected atomic component removed from said sample by laser beam bombardment, comprising the steps of:

• bombarding for a preselected short time period less than about twenty picoseconds said sample with said laser beam and generating a volume near said sample containing said selected atomic pump component, said short time period calculated to form a narrow energy spread of said selected atomic component by substantially avoiding further excitation by said laser beam of said selected atomic component generated in said volumes;
• applying at least one radiation beam pulse to said atomic component volume for achieving ionization of said selected atomic components;
• extracting said ionized atomic component from said volume nearest said sample;
• and
• detecting said extracted selected atomic component to determine the relative quantity of said selected atomic component in said sample.

A method for quantitative spectroscopic analysis of a sample using a spectrometer to measure the quantity of a selected atomic component removed from said sample by laser beam bombardment, comprising the steps of:

• bombarding for a preselected short time period less than about twenty picoseconds said sample with said laser beam and generating a volume near said sample containing said selected atomic component, said short time period calculated to form a dimensionally small melted region on said sample and generating said selected atomic component from said small melted region, enabling high special resolution analysis of said sample;
• applying at least one radiation beam pulse to said atomic component volume for achieving ionization of said selected atomic components;
• extracting said ionized atomic component from said volume nearest said sample;
• and
• detecting said extracted selected atomic component to determine the relative quantity of said selected atomic component in said sample.