Molecular Ion Suppression in the Secondary Ion Mass Spectra of Minerals

The application of SIMS as a practical analytical tool has been severely restricted by molecular ion interferences in the spectrum. The principle advantages of SIMS, specifically high sensitivity for a wide range of elements, low inherent backgrounds and large dynamic range, are often lost in a sea of molecular species. The large number of major and trace elements, and thus considerable spectral complexity, has made mineral analysis one of the more difficult challenges for this form of spectrometry.