EXAMPLE AND USES OF ANALYZED MATERIALS IN

XPS SPECTROSCOPY
 Material issues analyzed with XPS include
surface segregation, corrosion, semiconductor
& electrical contact contamination, surface
cleanliness, paint & coating delamination, and
intergranular fracture
 EXAMPLE OF ANALYZED
MATERIALS

• COATING FAILURE
XPS is well suited to the study of coating failures. Analysis
of the exposed material interface delineates the true
location of the separation. Comparison of these surfaces to
the bulk materials often shows the presence of
contaminants.

In this example, XPS determined that a fluoride-containing

glass surface was contaminated with a high level of Teflon®,
preventing ultimate coating adhesion. The base glass
contained fluoride compounds. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
is a synthetic fluoropolymer (most well known by the DuPont
brand name Teflon®) with many applications. XPS can easily
differentiate between the fluorine states of simple fluoride and
fluoropolymer.
• POLYMER TECHNOLOGY
XPS has many applications in polymer
technology. One application is the study of
polymer film before and after surface treatment
processes, including plasma treatment and
corona discharge treatment.

The data compare the carbon oxidation state of

untreated and treated polyethylene after discharge
treatment in air. Shifting in the carbon XPS peaks
indicate different binding states are present. The as-
received polyethylene is predominantly alkane C-C
carbon. Carbon-oxygen bonding is clearly present
after the discharge process
 USES OF ANAYLYZED MATERIALS IN XPS SPECTROSCOPY

XPS IS USED TO MEASURE: IT ROUTINELY USED TO ANALYZED

 Elemental composition of the
surface (top 1–12 nm usually).
 Empirical formula of pure  Inorganic Compound
materials. Chemical or  Metal alloys
electronic state of each element
 Semiconductors
in the surface.
 Uniformity of composition
 Polymers
across the top surface (line  Catalyst, glasses,
profiling). ceramics, paints
 Uniformity of elemental
composition as a function of ion
beam etching (depth profiling)