NCIt synonyms : XPS; Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis; ESCA;
NCIt definition : A quantitative spectroscopic technique that both determines the identities and percent
composition of elements in a material and measures the elemental chemical and electronic
states for a sample. The process, which occurs in a vacuum, involves the irradiation
of the material of interest with a beam of aluminum or magnesium X-rays while measuring
both the kinetic energy and number of electrons that are released from the outer surface.;
NCIt note : This technique provides elemental and chemical information about the surface region
(first 1-30 monolayers) of nearly any solid material, is sensitive to all elements
except hydrogen, and can provide some chemical information about the valence state
of elements.; Soft, mono-energetic x-rays illuminate a region of the sample and photoelectrons emanating
from it are energy-analyzed. When coupled with an ion gun, depth profiling can be
performed.;