Development and exploitation of a buckminsterfullerene, C60+ based primary ion beam system for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)

Narrative

Pioneering research at the University of Manchester developed a primary ion beam system based on buckminsterfullerene C60+ for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) that has revolutionized the field by providing unprecedented insight into the 3D depth profiling of organic materials, and spawned the development of second-generation polyatomic sources. A commercial C60+ ion beam has been developed in collaboration with Ionoptika Ltd that has lead to: the sale of 70 units with value greater than £2m; the development of a new spectrometer with sales of £2.5m; the creation of five employment positions. Technology has been transferred to a Japanese instrument manufacturer contributing to £ tens of millions sales.

Impact date	2014
Category of impact	Economic, Technological
Impact level	Adoption