Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA)

ESCA system at NML was installed in the year 2009. The spectrometer measures the kinetic energy (binding energy) of the ejected electron due to incident photon (X-ray light (XPS), Ultraviolet light (UPS), or Auger electron (AES), which leads to the identification of various elements and oxidation states of elements of the surface (1 – 10 nm usually). XPS measurements can be carried using three different sources; monochromatic Al K-alpha and non monochromatic Mg K-alpha and Ag K-alpha in the temperature range of 100 – 900 K. Besides, XPS has option for the in-situ depth profile measurement. UPS can be used to characterize valence band of electronic materials at and below room temperature.