Spectral interpretation

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a multipurpose and important technique for material characterization. It is commonly used to identify the chemical state, binding energy and determination of elemental composition for a wide variety of materials. The XPS study is rooted in the detection of the available elements and their valence state by assessing the core electrons binding energy of the constituent elements. A scan of the number of counts versus the binding energy provides an identification of the different chemical bonding and the elemental states of the constituent elements. The position and peak intensity of different peaks on the spectrum provides information of the amount and identity of these states. High-resolution scans are required for a good analysis. The peaks will be fitted for individual elements to extract the information required. The spectra include several features, e.g., photoelectron lines, Auger lines, various kinds of additional features like background, satellite peaks, spikes, and valence band spectra. Prior knowledge about the formation of these features is greatly needed to interpret the spectrum. This book chapter includes the principle of XPS analysis and the understanding of these features in different sections. Each of these sections contains the theory behind their formation and the method of interpretation of these different peaks exhibited in various XPS spectra. This is an attempt to provide an overview of the XPS process and its understanding for beginners who intend to explore the elemental analysis of materials. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.