IONTOF is a manufacturer of innovative instruments for surface analysis with different product lines for time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and high-sensitivity low-energy ion scattering (LEIS). Founded as a classical spin-off of the University of Münster, IONTOF has meanwhile become the technological leader in the field of TOF-SIMS and LEIS instrumentation.The company was founded by Prof. Alfred Benninghoven, Dr. Ewald Niehuis and Mr. Thomas Heller in 1989 to commercialise the original research carried out by Prof. Benninghoven and his team at the University of Muenster in Germany from the early 80s. Since the technique became commercially viable IONTOF has made many product improvements and more than 280 instruments are in operation in industrial and academic laboratories worldwide.Today, the IONTOF group consists of four different companies. The IONTOF GmbH, which sells, produces and services all IONTOF analytical instruments. The IONTOF Technologies GmbH which is in charge of all R&D projects. The subsidiary IONTOF USA which was founded for sales and after sales service in the United States and the Swiss-based Nanoscan AG for all R&D projects in the field of SFM technology.