PNNL

Abstract

Because of the importance of interfaces in many scientific and technological areas, the use of XPS has been growing exponentially. Although XPS is being used to obtain useful information about the surface composition of samples, much more information about materials and their properties can be extracted from XPS data than commonly obtained. This paper describes some of the areas where alternative analysis methods or experimental design can obtain information about the near surface region of a sample, often information not available in other ways. Experienced XPS analysts are familiar with many of these methods, but they may not be known to new or casual XPS users and sometimes they have not been used because of an inappropriately assumed complexity. Information available includes, optical, electronic, and electrical properties, nanostructure, expanded chemical information and enhanced analysis biological materials and solid/liquid interfaces. Many of these analyses can be conducted on standard laboratory XPS systems, with either no or relatively minor system alterations