# US 8,772,712 B2 · Analysis apparatus and analysis method

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- Number: US 8,772,712 B2
- Document ID: US8772712B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/863,698
- Filed: 2013-04-16
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-24
- Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hajime Kimura; Shunsuke Kiyomura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772712B2

## CPC

- G01N 23/2258: Measuring secondary ion emission, e.g. secondary ion mass spectrometry [SIMS] (mass-to-charge ratio analysis aspects of SIMS for material analysis G01N27/62)
- H01J 49/142: {using a solid target which is not previously vapourised}
- H01J 49/40: Time-of-flight spectrometers (H01J49/36 takes precedence)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A compound contained in a sample is analyzed more accurately. Provided is an analysis method using TOF-SIMS in which first spectral data is obtained by irradiating the sample with a first primary ion, second spectral data is obtained by irradiating the sample with a second primary ion, and a surface of the sample is etched by an ion and then the surface of the sample is irradiated with the first primary ion or the second primary ion. The first primary ion is more likely to break a molecular structure of a molecule contained in the sample than the second primary ion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An analysis apparatus comprising:
a first ion source, the first ion source being configured to irradiate a sample with a first primary ion;
a second ion source, the second ion source being configured to etch the sample in a depth direction and to irradiate the sample with a second primary ion; and
a detector, the detector being configured to obtain first mass spectral data and to obtain second mass spectral data at the same time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The analysis apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the second primary ion comprises a cluster ion including a plurality of atoms, and
wherein a second number of atoms of the second primary ion is larger than a first number of atoms of the first primary ion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The analysis apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein a first number of fragment peaks of the first mass spectral data is larger than a second number of fragment peaks of the second mass spectral data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The analysis apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein a first secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein a second secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein the first spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the first secondary ion, and
wherein the second spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the second secondary ion.

### Claim 5

An analysis method using TOF-SIMS, comprising the steps of:
obtaining first mass spectral data by irradiating a sample with a first primary ion;
obtaining second mass spectral data by irradiating the sample with a second primary ion; and
evaluating components of the sample by comparing the first mass spectral data with the second mass spectral data,
wherein a first number of fragment peaks of the first mass spectral data is larger than a second number of fragment peaks of the second mass spectral data, and
wherein the obtaining the first mass spectral data and the obtaining the second mass spectral data are performed at the same time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 4,
wherein the second primary ion comprises a cluster ion including a plurality of atoms, and
wherein a second number of atoms of the second primary ion is larger than a first number of atoms of the first primary ion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 5,
wherein a first secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein a second secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein the first spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the first secondary ion, and
wherein the second spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the second secondary ion.

### Claim 8

An analysis method using TOF-SIMS, comprising the steps of:
obtaining first mass spectral data by irradiating a sample with a first primary ion;
obtaining second mass spectral data by irradiating the sample with a second primary ion;
etching a surface of the sample by an ion and then irradiating the surface of the sample with the first primary ion or the second primary ion; and
evaluating components of the sample by comparing the first mass spectral data with the second mass spectral data,
wherein a first number of fragment peaks of the first mass spectral data is larger than a second number of fragment peaks of the second mass spectral data.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 8,
wherein the second primary ion comprises a cluster ion including a plurality of atoms, and
wherein a second number of atoms of the second primary ion is larger than a first number of atoms of the first primary ion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 8,
wherein the obtaining the first mass spectral data and the obtaining the second mass spectral data are performed at the same time.

### Claim 11

An analysis method using TOF-SIMS, comprising the steps of:
obtaining first spectral data by irradiating a sample with a first primary ion;
obtaining second spectral data by irradiating the sample with a second primary ion;
etching a surface of the sample by an ion including the same element as the second primary ion; and
evaluating components of the sample by comparing the first mass spectral data with the second mass spectral data,
wherein a first number of fragment peaks of the first mass spectral data is larger than a second number of fragment peaks of the second mass spectral data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 11,
wherein the second primary ion comprises a cluster ion including a plurality of atoms, and
wherein a second number of atoms of the second primary ion is larger than a first number of atoms of the first primary ion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 11,
wherein the obtaining the first mass spectral data and the obtaining the second mass spectral data are performed at the same time.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 8,
wherein a first secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein a second secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein the first spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the first secondary ion, and
wherein the second spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the second secondary ion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The analysis method using TOF-SIMS according to claim 11,
wherein a first secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein a second secondary ion is released from the sample,
wherein the first spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the first secondary ion, and
wherein the second spectral data is obtained from a flight time of the second secondary ion.