Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) has proven to be an essential tool for ultra-shallow junction metrology. Accurate and precise measurement of ultra-low energy implants can be accomplished if SIMS artifacts are understood and controlled. These artifacts include excessive atomic mixing, ion yield and sputter rate variations at the onset of sputtering, and the formation of sputter-induced surface topography. Control of these artifacts can be accomplished through the use of sub-keV primary ion beams incident at select angles. From results in the literature and from International SEMATECH’s Materials Analysis Lab, it appears likely that SIMS can provide the necessary accuracy and precision to support ultra-shallow junction metrology to at least the 100 nm node in 2005. ©2001 American Institute of Physics.