Auger electron spectroscopy : practical application to materials analysis and characterization of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films / John Wolstenholme.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction -- 2. The interaction of electrons with solid materials -- 3. AES methodologies -- 4. Instrumentation for auger analysis -- 5. Auger electron spectroscopy in materials analysis -- 6. Analytical methods for the characterization of materials -- Appendix 1. Abbreviations and acronyms -- Appendix 2. Quantum numbers -- Appendix 3. Comparison of surface and thin film analysis techniques -- Appendix 4. Standardization in surface analysis -- Appendix 5. Sources of the figures -- Further reading -- Index.

Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) is capable of providing elemental composition and, in some restricted cases, chemical bonding information for the elements present near the surface of solid materials. The surface specificity of this technique is such that only atoms in the top 5 to 10 nm are detected. The great strength of AES is its ability to provide this information with excellent spatial resolution (down to <10 nm). It can be used to provide elemental maps of the surface, which gives rise to the term scanning Auger microscopy (SAM). When used in combination with a source of high-energy ions, it provides elemental depth profiles to depths of up to a few micrometers. The use of AES and SAM for the characterization of a wide range of technological materials is discussed. These include metals and alloys, semiconductors, nanostructures, and insulators. Its value as a tool for high- resolution elemental imaging and compositional depth profiling is illustrated. The application of the technique for obtaining compositional information from the surfaces, interfaces, and thin film structures of technological and engineering materials is demonstrated. This volume also describes the basic physical principles of AES in simple, largely qualitative, terms understandable by any undergraduate science or engineering student. Major components of typical Auger spectrometers are also described because an understanding of the instrumentation is important to anyone wishing to become a skilled analyst. Mention is also made of other types of analysis for which an Auger electron spectrometer may be used, for example, secondary electron microscopy, backscattered electron imaging, and X-ray spectroscopy. The relationship between AES and other analysis techniques is also discussed.

Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 25, 2015).

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