| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Exhibitor Technology Spotlight Workshops | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session EW-TuL |
| Session: | Exhibitor Technology Spotlight Workshop II |
| Presenter: | Christopher Blomfield, Kratos Analytical Limited, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
In 1969 Kratos, then AEI, shipped the first commercially available X-ray photoelectron spectrometer to Dr David Clark at the University of Durham. In this presentation we will outline the developments from the first ES-100 to the state-of-the-art AXIS Supra+ and have established Kratos Analytical as a leader in the design and manufacture of XPS instruments.
We will detail the development of the Aberration Compensated Input Lens (ACIL) in the early 1980’s. Importantly the nature of the ACIL provided the analyst with an easy to use microprobe-like capability, enabling exact correlation of classic spectroscopic analysis with XPS and physical images – the advent of spatially keyed spectroscopy. A further significant development came with the AXIS series of spectrometers which were the first to incorporate a magnetic immersion (snorkel) lens. The combination of magnetic and electrostatic lenses lead to much greater collection efficiency of photoelectrons when compared to previous instruments, providing a step-change in performance specifications.
Another Kratos innovation, launched in the late 1990’s, was the incorporation of the spherical mirror analyser (SMA) with the hemispherical analyser in the AXIS Ultra. The SMA allowed fast, high spatial resolution parallel imaging, where an image of the sample is projected onto a 2D detector. This technology is still used today and allows us to define 1um imaging spatial resolution.
There have been a number of other momentous advances including software, automation and accessories. Probably the most significant of these recent developments is the gas cluster ion source (GCIS). This accessory has allowed the successful depth profiling of organic polymers and inorganic samples with retention of chemistry throughout the profile.
It is hoped that in reviewing milestones in Kratos’ development of XPS over the previous 50 years we will trigger discussion on requirements for the technique in the next 50 years.