AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition
    Applied Surface Science Monday Sessions
       Session AS+MC-MoM

Paper AS+MC-MoM8
Metrology for Surface Chemical Analysis: Active Parties, Status and Challenges

Monday, November 10, 2014, 10:40 am, Room 316

Session: Quantitative Surface Analysis
Presenter: Wolfgang Unger, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) defines metrology, i.e. the Art of Measurement, as "the science of measurement, embracing both experimental and theoretical determinations at any level of uncertainty in any field of science and technology." Besides the establishment of full uncertainty budgets traceability is another aspect of metrology.

Surface chemical analysis is a much younger discipline in comparison to other branches in analytical chemistry as, e.g., electro-chemistry, inorganic and gas analysis and lots of work has to be done to make XPS, AES and SIMS based quantitative analysis a metrological one. Looking to the analytical methods established in surface chemical analysis we may differentiate classes:

1. Primary methods measuring amount of substance as [atoms/cm2, …]

2. Empirical methods measuring amount of substance after calibration as fractions of a nano scaled surface layer

3. Primary and empirical methods measuring amount of substance expressed as the thickness of a thin film [nm]

In most cases we are using empirical methods when XPS, AES and SIMS are applied to deliver quantitative data. It follows also from that list that, principally, traceability to the mol or the meter can be established.

Relevant initiatives to metrologically underpin surface chemical analysis have been launched under the umbrella of the Surface Analysis Working Group at CCQM/BIPM where the National Metrology Institutes are running world-wide inter-laboratory comparisons. In Europe we have the European Metrology Research Program (EMRP) where a number of projects directly address issues of surface chemical analysis and most often also by individual websites. Another aspect is that there is a strong impact of metrology in surface chemical analysis on standardization in ISO TC 201 and 202. For example, ISO 14701 has been prepared using outcome of a huge key comparison organized under CCQM/BIPM.

The talk will present some basics of metrology in surface chemical analysis, results of successful key comparisons organized under CCQM/BIPM and a survey on the main scientific challenges to be addressed in quantitative surface chemical analysis in the next future.