MRI: Acquisition of an Imaging TOF-SIMS System for Multidisciplinary Earth, Energy, & Environmental Research

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The acquisition of an Imaging Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (TOF-SIMS)instrument at the Colorado School of Mines creates an open facility for the analysis of air and moisture sensitive samples that meets the unique needs of academic, industrial, and national laboratory researchers. The advanced chemical analysis afforded by this instrument will directly support areas of national interest in mineral extraction, energy generation and storage, advanced metallurgical alloys, and drug-tissue interactions. For example, the instrument will allow detection of small amounts of segregated impurities in metals that can cause mechanical failures. In mineral extraction, the distribution and chemistry of critical ore deposits can be studied to optimize refining and reduce waste streams. TOF-SIMS can show how atoms incorporate into and degrade battery electrodes, causing shorter lifetimes or failures. This project will (1) build a centrally located, easily accessible capability that meets the unique needs of academic, industrial, and national laboratory researchers, supporting transformative research in areas of national interest; and (2) contribute to advanced technical training and inclusive workforce development, providing training and access to a state-of-the-art instrument.Acquisition of a state-of-the-art TOF-SIMS instrument suite creates a unique capability in the U.S. for multidisciplinary research in conventional and environmentally sensitive samples and for emerging TOF-SIMS applications. The system configuration includes (1) a transfer vessel for handling air-sensitive samples, (2) an in-situ focused ion beam (FIB) for sectioning samples, and (3) analyzers and ion sources for characterizing both inorganic and organic species. TOF-SIMS enables high spatial resolution (~60 nm) and exceptional chemical sensitivity (down to parts per billion) with 3-D compositional profiling and lateral / depth mapping in virtually all materials. These capabilities open new avenues for understanding the chemistry of materials at nanometer length scales where the performance of materials is often determined. The University's unique focus on Earth, Energy, and Environment provides opportunities to apply TOF-SIMS to emerging applications, specifically in geosciences, resource recovery, impurities in emerging photovoltaics, transport kinetics in ionic conductors, biological drug delivery, and metallurgical alloy development. The application of SIMS to these problems will broaden the application space for the technique and provide answers to many of the persistent questions in those fields.