Prof. WENG at HKUST(GZ) contributed a review paper in "Nature Reviews Methods Primers"

Professor Lu-Tao WENG, Director of the Materials Characterization and Preparation Facility (GZ) (MCPF(GZ)) of HKUST(GZ) , was invited by  "Nature Reviews" to contribute a review paper entitled "Secondary ion mass spectrometry" for the journal "Nature Reviews Methods Primers", which appeared on-line on May 9^th. The co-authors of this article include Professor Nicolas P. Lockyer and Professor Katie L. Moore from University of Manchester in the UK, Professor Ian S. Gilmore from National Physical Laboratory in the UK, Professor Satoka Aoyagi from Seikei University in Japan, Professor John S. Fletcher from University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Dr. Paul A. W. van der Heide from IMEC in Belgium, and Professor Bonnie J. Tyler from University of Münster in Germany.

Fulltext URL:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43586-024-00311-9

The first affiliation of the article was HKUST(GZ) - MCPF(GZ), Thrust of Advanced Materials, Function Hub, and Guangzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Materials Informatics.

As part of the "Nature Reviews" portfolio, "Nature Reviews Methods Primers" is committed to enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and aims to publish "high-quality Primer articles covering analytical, applied, statistical, theoretical and computational methods used in the life and physical sciences". These reviews typically focus on an important topic and are written through invitation by several top scholars coming from different regions and with different expertise to ensure that they are suitable for a broad, interdisciplinary audience of researchers at all career stages.

"Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)" is a technique used to analyze the chemical composition of solid materials and its distribution in two- and/or three-dimensions. Due to its extremely high imaging spatial resolution and high sensitivity, it has a wide range of applications in materials sciences, life sciences, and earth sciences. The review by Prof. Weng and co-authors systematically describes the operating principles of SIMS and outlines how the instrument configurations and experimental parameters enable different modes of operation and information to be obtained. It also summarizes the latest applications of SIMS in advanced materials and surface science, semiconductor devices, life sciences, and earth sciences, and outlines its existing limitations and future developments.

MCPF(GZ) is currently equipped with a state-of-the-art Hybrid SIMS instrument - the first of its kind in China, which  has both high spatial resolution and extreme mass resolution. Furthermore, MCPF(GZ) houses s a wide range of world-leading instruments that allow researchers to probe and measure the composition, morphology, structure, and functional properties of materials from macro to atomic scales. These resources are available for use not only for the two campuses of HKUST but also for external research institutions, and industrial partners in the Greater Bay Area.

*Units interested in cooperation can contact: mcpf@hkust-gz.edu.cn