Editors: Orlando Auciello, Argonne National Laboratory; Alan R. Krauss, Argonne National Laboratory; Eugene A. Irene, University of North Carolina; J. Albert Schultz, Ionwerks.

Press Releases

Ionwerks and Argonne National Laboratory received a 1997 R&D 100 award for Ionwerks' Mass Spectroscopy of Recoil Ions msri Analyzer. The award is given annually by R&D magazine to the 100 most significant products of the year. The analyzer, which can be used for msri and sims analysis, will make it possible to markedly improve material properties and manufacturing process in the semiconductor and electronics industries. The fabrication of chemically complex thin films will require increasingly stringent in-process monitoring and control of surface composition and atomic structure. However, most current techniques for analyzing surfaces cannot be used during deposition of most films of technological interest. In contrast, the msri analyzer is compatible with thin-film deposition environments, and, furthermore, it is one of the few surfaces analytical methods that can detect all elements, including hydrogen and helium, at high pressures. In addition, it is uniquely able to distinguish between various chemical phases with the same or similar chemical composition.

The instrument was invented and tested under two cooperate research and development agreements crada. Proof-of-principle research was funded by a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Research, Laboratory Technology Research Program provided funds to Argonne to continue its technology research with Ionwerks.