TIME-OF-FLIGHT SECONDARY-ION MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF NABF4 - A COMPARISON OF ATOMIC AND POLYATOMIC PRIMARY IONS AT CONSTANT IMPACT ENERGY

(CsI)(n)Cs+ projectiles, n = 0-3, were used to bombard a NaBF4 (sodium tetrafluoroborate) target at the limit of single ion impacts, The rel ative yields of ions sputtered from the target were measured and are c ompared as a function of the number of atoms in the primary ion, When normalized to the mass of the primary ion, sputtered ions that do not resemble the original sample composition, (NaF)(n)F-, increase in yiel d as the primary ion complexity increases, The yields of atomic specie s and polyatomic ions emitted presumably as intact units decrease as t he projectile complexity increases, (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.