On the mechanism of secondary ion formation from poly(methylmethacrylate) under static secondary ion mass spectrometry conditions

Abstract The negative ion spectrum of a relatively thick layer (± 0. 5 μm) of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) with M̄w = 1890 and its positive ion spectrum of a very thin layer (± 1. 0 nm) on silver measured with a time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometer are presented. From the negative ion spectrum it is concluded that formation of enolate anions from PMMA under static secondary ion mass spectrometric conditions is an important ion formation process. From fragmentation products of the polymer, detected as silver cationized species in the positive ion spectrum, more evidence was found of a fragmentation mechanism for PMMA under static secondary ion mass spectrometric conditions recently proposed in the literature. From the relation between the information obtained from the two types of spectra an extension of this mechanism is obtained. This mechanism implies scission of the polymer chain by the primary ion bombardment with subsequent formation of enolate anions from the newly formed polymer chain‐ends.