X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) Surface Analysis Technique

Contact Select OneUnited States of AmericaAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaCocos (Keeling) IslandColombiaComorosCongo, Democratic Republic ofCook IslandsCosta RicaCote d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, NorthKorea, SouthKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairn IslandPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe Select OneAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming Contact Menu Close

• Home
• Products
  • Overview
  • Genesis
  • 710
  • nanoTOF 3
  • Refurbished
  • System Upgrades
  • System Software
    • Overview
    • SmartSoft for VPIII
    • StrataPHI - Software for Thin Film Structure Analysis
    • TOF-SIMS Data Reduction Software
    • SmartSoft for XPS
    • MultiPak Data Reduction Software
• Applications
  • Overview
  • Energy
    • Overview
    • Lithium Battery Electrode Analysis - XPS
    • Fuel Cell Membrane Characterization - XPS
    • Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Characterization - TOF-SIMS
  • Medical
    • Overview
    • Drug Absorption - TOF-SIMS
    • 3D Characterization of a Drug Eluting Coating - TOF-SIMS
  • Polymers
    • Overview
    • Plasma Modified Polymer Surfaces - XPS
    • Contaminant Identification On Polymer Surfaces - Multitechnique
    • Polymer Film Depth Profiling - XPS
    • 3D Polymer Film Depth Profiling - TOF-SIMS
    • Molecular Imaging with High Spatial Resolution and High Mass Resolution (HR²) - TOF-SIMS
  • Thin Films
    • Overview
    • Magnetic Storage Media - Multitechnique
    • Semiconductor Films - AES
    • Organic Electronics - Multitechnique
    • Organic Photovoltaics - TOF-SIMS
    • Graphene Films - XPS
  • Metallurgy
    • Overview
    • Segregation Of Impurities In Ductile Iron - AES
    • Characterizing Tribo-Surface Chemistry - XPS
    • Corrosion Studies - AES
  • Magnetic Media
    • Overview
    • Hard Disk Thin Film Composition - Multitechnique
    • Tribology on Magnetic Media Heads - AES
  • Microelectronics
    • Overview
    • Silicon Nanowires - AES
    • Semiconductor Packaging - XPS
• Techniques
  • Overview
  • XPS/ESCA
  • HAXPES
  • TOF-SIMS
  • AES
  • Surface Analysis Spotlight
• Analytical Services
  • Overview
  • XPS/ESCA/HAXPES
  • TOF-SIMS
  • AES
• Support
  • Overview
  • Support Services
    • Overview
    • Service Contracts
    • Worldwide Factory Service
    • ReACH
    • Parts/Materials Return Declaration
  • Reference Material
    • Overview
    • FAQ
    • Handbook
    • Manuals
    • Safety Data Sheets
  • Software
    • Overview
    • Software Updates
  • Hardware
    • Overview
    • Consumable Parts
    • System Upgrades
  • Customer Care Center

• About Us
  • Overview
  • Our Focus
  • History
  • Leadership
  • Analytical Lab
  • Events
    • Overview
    • AVS 67 Conference Links
    • Past Events
  • News & Articles
  • Careers
• Contact Us

Login Register

Stay Connected

Login Register

• Products
• Applications
• Techniques
• Analytical Services
• Support

• About Us
• Contact Us

XPS / ESCA Home / Techniques / XPS/ESCA

• XPS/ESCA
• HAXPES
• TOF-SIMS
• AES
• Surface Analysis Spotlight

Contact Select OneUnited States of AmericaAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaCocos (Keeling) IslandColombiaComorosCongo, Democratic Republic ofCook IslandsCosta RicaCote d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, NorthKorea, SouthKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairn IslandPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe Select OneAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) also known as Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) is the most widely used surface analysis technique because it can be applied to a broad range of materials and provides valuable quantitative and chemical state information from the surface of the material being studied. The average depth of analysis for an XPS measurement is approximately 5 nm. PHI XPS instruments provide the ability to obtain spectra with a lateral spatial resolution as small as 7.5 µm. Spatial distribution information can be obtained by scanning the micro focused x-ray beam across the sample surface. Depth distribution information can be obtained by combining XPS measurements with ion milling (sputtering) to characterize thin film structures. The information XPS provides about surface layers or thin film structures is important for many industrial and research applications where surface or thin film composition plays a critical role in performance including: nanomaterials, photovoltaics, catalysis, corrosion, adhesion, electronic devices and packaging, magnetic media, display technology, surface treatments, and thin film coatings used for numerous applications.

XPS is typically accomplished by exciting a samples surface with mono-energetic Al kα x-rays causing photoelectrons to be emitted from the sample surface. An electron energy analyzer is used to measure the energy of the emitted photoelectrons. From the binding energy and intensity of a photoelectron peak, the elemental identity, chemical state, and quantity of a detected element can be determined.

Physical Electronics XPS instruments function in a manner analogous to SEM/EDS instruments that use a finely focused electron beam to create SEM images for sample viewing and point spectra or images for compositional analysis. With the PHI XPS instruments, a finely focused x-ray beam is scanned to create secondary electron images for sample viewing and point spectra or images for compositional analysis. The size of the x-ray beam can be increased to support the efficient analysis of larger samples with homogeneous composition. In contrast to SEM/EDS which has a typical analysis depth of 1-3 µm, XPS is a surface analysis technique with a typical analysis depth of less than 5 nm and is therefore better suited for the compositional analysis of ultra-thin layers and thin microscale sample features.

Stay Connected

18725 Lake Drive East, Chanhassen, MN 55317 © 2025 Physical Electronics, Inc. (PHI) All Rights Reserved.

• Contact
• Login
• Careers
• Privacy Policy
• Sitemap
• ULVAC-PHI, INC

© 2025 Physical Electronics, Inc. (PHI) All Rights Reserved. Cookies