High sensitivity and high resolution element 3D analysis by a combined SIMS–SPM instrument

• Yves Fleming and
• Tom Wirtz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1091–1099, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.110

• of the TiCN cermet. Keywords: alloy; atomic force microscopy (AFM); correlative microscopy; differential sputtering; in situ; multimodal imaging; nano-cluster; polymer blend; secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS); scanning probe microscopy (SPM); SIMS artefacts; sputter-induced effects; sputter

• intensity is slightly increased at the position where a dip is present on the PVP dome, which is most likely due to variations of the sputtering yield with the local angle of incidence. Nickel-based super-alloy Differential sputtering can also be observed when analysing nickel-based super-alloys, which are

• created due to differential sputtering, are captured with an apparent pixel position outside the γ′ precipitate phase. This is a consequence of significant field inhomogeneities as a result of distortion of the local electric field arising from the surface topography. As already stated in [20], both the