Near-Ambient X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Historically X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was a technique which had to be performed in high or ultra-high vacuum (<~10-7 mbar) due to the limited path length of the electrons emitted from the sample at higher pressures. As a result of advances in the technology commercialised by our partner, SPECS, it is now possible to measure samples at pressures much closer to atmospheric pressure (<100mbar). Analysis at such pressures without pumping the analysis chamber down to HV or UHV conditions first, opens up a much wider range of samples and applications for XPS than were possible in the past. Studies of samples such as liquids, liquid-solid interfaces and samples under a background of different gases become possible. Product development of the X-Ray source technology has also allowed the analysis that would have been performed at a synchrotron in the past to be successfully performed in the customer’s own laboratory. Operating in near-ambient conditions also makes analysis of electrically insulating samples such as plastics or ceramics much easier. Samples which would become electrically charged in conventional UHV XPS are self-neutralised under such conditions. SPECS has become the market leader in this technology and offers a variety of products including a fully automated, high throughput system, the EnviroESCA, as well as systems which offer a flexible approach including UHV analysis and integration of a wide range other UHV techniques.