Surface analysis tools
Encyclopedia
Surface analysis tools are instruments and spectrometers that use surface analysis techniques such as AES (Auger Electron Spectroscopy
) sometimes called Scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM); XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
) also known as ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis); and SIMS (Secondary ion mass spectrometry
) to characterize the composition and structure of the top few layers of atoms in a surface. Note that there are numerous related techniques which may also qualify as "surface analysis".
Surface analysis most often uses electron
, x-ray
, or ion
probes to remove electrons or ions from the material so as to characterize the elemental composition, chemistry
and elemental distribution in a region that is, roughly, (1 to 10 nm
) thick. If information is desired from a thicker region of the specimen, depth profiling techniques are often used where a high energy ion (generally between 500 and 5,000 eV) is employed to strip material off the surface and the resultant freshly exposed surface is then analyzed.
Auger electron spectroscopy
Auger electron spectroscopy is a common analytical technique used specifically in the study of surfaces and, more generally, in the area of materials science...
) sometimes called Scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM); XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is a quantitative spectroscopic technique that measures the elemental composition, empirical formula, chemical state and electronic state of the elements that exist within a material...
) also known as ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis); and SIMS (Secondary ion mass spectrometry
Secondary ion mass spectrometry
Secondary ion mass spectrometry is a technique used in materials science and surface science to analyze the composition of solid surfaces and thin films by sputtering the surface of the specimen with a focused primary ion beam and collecting and analyzing ejected secondary ions...
) to characterize the composition and structure of the top few layers of atoms in a surface. Note that there are numerous related techniques which may also qualify as "surface analysis".
Surface analysis most often uses electron
Electron
The electron is a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. It has no known components or substructure; in other words, it is generally thought to be an elementary particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1/1836 that of the proton...
, x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
, or ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
probes to remove electrons or ions from the material so as to characterize the elemental composition, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and elemental distribution in a region that is, roughly, (1 to 10 nm
Nanometre
A nanometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre. The name combines the SI prefix nano- with the parent unit name metre .The nanometre is often used to express dimensions on the atomic scale: the diameter...
) thick. If information is desired from a thicker region of the specimen, depth profiling techniques are often used where a high energy ion (generally between 500 and 5,000 eV) is employed to strip material off the surface and the resultant freshly exposed surface is then analyzed.