Contrast mechanisms in scanning ion microscope imaging for metals

The contrast of the secondary electron images in scanning ion microscopy (SIM) is compared with that in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with ultrahigh vacuum for Al, Cu, Ag, and Au metals deposited on the Si(100) clean surface. The order of the secondary electron yields as a function of the atomic number (Z2) for ion bombardment is opposite to that for electron bombardment. The brightness of the secondary electron images observed by a focused Ga+ ion beam at 30 keV decreases with increasing Z2, while that by the electron beam increases with Z2. On the other hand, the order of the total secondary ion yields in SIM increases with Z2. The secondary electron image observed by a focused Ar+-ion beam at 3 keV shows the similar contrast to that of the Ga+-ion beam. The different Z2 dependence of the secondary electron yields between SEM and SIM was quantitatively confirmed by the total secondary electron spectra and is discussed based on the range profile below the surface, and it is concluded that the decrease of the secondary electron yields in SIM is attributed to the increase of the reflected ions at the surface with increasing Z2.