Soft X-Ray Laser Ablation Mass Spectrometry For Materials Study And Nanoscale Chemical Imaging

There are significant advantages for using a compact capillary discharge soft x-ray laser (SXRL) with wavelength of 46.9 nm for mass spectrometry applications. The 26.4 eV energy photons provide efficient single-photon ionization while preserving the structure of molecules and clusters. The tens of nanometers absorption depth of the radiation coupled with the focusing of the laser beam to diameter of similar to 100 nm result in the ablation of atto-liter scale craters which in turn enable high resolution mass spectral imaging of solid samples. In this paper we describe results on the analysis of composition depth-profiling of multilayer oxide stack and material studies in photoresists, ionic crystals, and magnesium corrosion products using SXRL ablation mass spectrometry, a method first demonstrated by our group. These materials are used in a variety of soft x-ray applications such as detectors, multilayer optics, and many more.