X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscope

The XPS system provides detailed surface chemistry at the sub-10 nm scale. It operates by spectroscopy of photo-electrons emitted from the sample surface by incident X-Ray or ultra-violet photons. These photoelectron energies provide highly sensitive information on chemical species and bonding in the sample surface region. The spatial resolution of this technique is about 10 mm, with a spectral resolution of < 0.5 eV. The XPS signal is obtained from regions within about 1 nm of the surface, and an integrated ion sputtering enables the surface to be continuously removed, so that chemical depth profiles can be obtained. The system is maintained under ultra-high vacuum (~10-10 Torr) conditions.