Differential Sputtering Correction for Ion Microscopy Using Image Depth Profiling

A first-order correction for differential sputtering is made to ion micrographs using image depth profiling. This is done by first recording the ion image to be corrected, then sputtering down to the substrate while recording a series of images at the substrates's mass. A time-domain 'burn-through' map showing the time each location of the sample first sputters through to the substrate is then generated. This map is used to make a linear correction for differential sputtering induced ion intensity artifacts to the initial sample images. C(40)+ ion images of a radish root tip steel cell region on a tantalum substrate are corrected in this fashion. Relative sputtering rates of 1.5 and 1.2 compared to the cytoplasm were found for the cell walls and nuclei, respectively. (Author)