X‐ray photoelectron analysis of surface layers with composition gradients

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Abstract
The problems of quantitative surface analysis using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) are considered with respect to surface layers having composition gradients. Various cases of given elemental distributions are discussed. The ESCA spectra are shown to allow the determination of an average element concentration in a layer of thickness Cλ sin α, λ and α being the photoelectron mean free path and escape angle respectively, and C being equal to 1.2, 1.8 or 2.0 depending on the change in the intensity with varying escape angle. The method based on the presence of composition gradient is suggested as a way of evaluating the photoelectron mean free path and the rate of ion sputtering.