Recent instrumental developments in magnetic sector SIMS

The recent developments in magnetic sector SIMS are reviewed. It is not aim ed at a detailed description of these instruments which, for several of the m, can be found elsewhere [1-8] but reviews the driving forces making neces sary the development of magnetic sector SIMS for all types of analysis (sin gle instrument alternative) as well as instruments dedicated to ultimate la teral resolution (50 nm), to isotopic ratio measurements with multicollecti on of all isotopes, to depth profiling at high depth resolution using an im pact energy of 250 eV, and instruments allowing better flexibility about th e amount of cesium incorporated in the specimen to optimize the formation o f MCs clusters for the analysis of complex materials.