| AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Applied Surface Science | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session AS-WeA |
| Session: | Developments in Electron Spectroscopies for Non-Ideal Samples 2 |
| Presenter: | A.E. Wright, Thermo Fisher Scientific, UK |
| Authors: | A.E. Wright, Thermo Fisher Scientific, UK P. Mack, Thermo Fisher Scientific, UK T.S. Nunney, Thermo Fisher Scientific, UK A. Bushell, Thermo Fisher Scientific, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Surface analysis using multiple techniques is becoming increasingly common in materials characterisation, where the desire for more detailed chemical and structural information is complemented by increasing functionality and automation in instrumentation. It is now often possible to use a single instrument to analyse a sample using four or more techniques in quick succession.
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) has become routine in many laboratories, while related techniques such as Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS), Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (ISS) and Reflected Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (REELS) are being used more frequently to supplement XPS analyses.
Any sample that has been exposed to the ambient environment will typically have a thin (1-2 nm or more) covering of hydrocarbons and other contaminants, and may also have oxidised, hydrated or undergone other reactions. These surface deposits can have a significant effect on the results of surface analytical techniques.
The aforementioned techniques can provide a wealth of complementary information from the surface and near-surface regions of a material, but they have differing susceptibilities to the common surface modifications and contaminants. This presentation evaluates samples including polymers, metals and semiconductors, and examines methods of overcoming the contamination issues with particular focus on the use of monatomic and gas cluster ion beams for surface cleaning.