Abstract
The recent applications of argon gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) are briefly reviewed. Depth profiling of organic materials has been one of the most notable challenges in conventional XPS and TOF-SIMS. Recently, it is getting widely accepted that GCIB has enabled us to obtain the depth profiles of organic materials. GCIB has unique sputtering characteristics, such as extremely low chemical damage, high sputtering yield and surface smoothing capability. These superior characteristics facilitate diverse applications of XPS and TOF-SIMS, increasing the analysis of organic devices and advanced polymers. In this review, the recent applications of GCIB are discussed, focusing on the organic film depth profiling and the surface cleaning effect.
