The Principles and Applications of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The composition of surfaces determines the nature of their interactions within their surroundings, influencing factors critical to materials science such as corrosion rate, catalytic activity, failure mechanisms, contact potential, wettability and adhesive properties. As the structure and behaviour of a surface is often fundamentally different to that of its bulk substrate, elucidating the surface chemistry is of vital importance to achieving a greater understanding of a material’s behaviour, and improving its performance in applications that rely on these surface processes.

This webinar recording covers the basics of surface analysis:

• Definitions of surface, thin films and ultra-thin films
• Photoelectric effect and measuring characteristic kinetic energies
• Acquiring a survey spectrum for elemental quantification
• Quantifying chemical states
• Depth profiling through a layered sample
• What makes XPS so surface specific