9503743 Schwartz, Steven The award will allow the purchase of a replacement for a data acquisition and imaging system for a secondary ion mass spectrometry/Auger electron spectroscopy (SINS/Auger) instrument. This new data system will provide three dimensional imaging capability for the first time, so that spatial maps of elemental concentrations at the parts per million level can be produced. The data system will significantly enhance the machine sensitivity by storing large volumes of data for post-analysis. The new system will replace outdated counting-electronics modules and will incorporate specialized software for simultaneous SIMS/Auger data acquisition. The SIMS/Auger unit at Queens College is one of the most prolific SIMS instruments employed for materials research. Approximately 100 publications have utilized data from this instrument since 1985. These publications address a wide range of materials issues, including segregation and ordering in polymer blends, interdiffusion and metallic contacts in compound semiconductor devices, characterization of crystal growth, and fundamentals of ion-solid interactions. The machine is currently in round-the-clock use, in support of several research contracts and projects, and involving faculty from several universities, as well as researchers in industry.
