Surface Characterization by

Spectroscopy and Microscopy

 What is a surface?
that volume of the solid that a specific
measurement technique samples
Optical Microscopy
 Magneto-Optical Imaging

The Magneto-Optical technique is a method of magnetic flux

visualization using the Faraday Effect in ferrimagnetic Bi-doped
iron garnet films, Y3Fe5O12 (YIG).
Magneto-Optical Imaging
Magneto-Optical Imaging
 Spectroscopic Surface Methods
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)
• primary beam - x-ray photons
• secondary beam - electrons
Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM)
 Electron Spectroscopy
• count the number of electrons
• measure the energy
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
• qualitative analysis information
• structure information
• oxidation state information
A + h => A+* + e-
 Spectroscopic Surface Methods
Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)
• primary beam - electrons
• secondary beam - electrons
Auger Electron Spectroscopy
A + ei- => A+* + e’i- + eA-
where ei- => incident electron
e’i- => after interaction w/ A
eA- => electron ejected from A
A+* => A++ + eA-
eA- = Auger electron
A+* => A+ + hf
hf => fluorescence photon
 Auger Electron Spectroscopy
Auger emission types
• KLL
• LMM
• MNN
favored by low atomic number elements
Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM)
 Scanning Electron Microscope
Two most common types of detection:
• secondary electrons
• x-ray emission
 Scanning Electron Microscope
control x, y, and z and rotate sample
magnification from 10x to 100,000x
Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Tip of Atomic Force Microscope
 Iron Atoms
1 2

4 3
“Atomic Force Macroscope”