New Data Resources and Applications for AES and XPS

Abstract

A description is given of several new applications of the NIST Database for the Simulation of Electron Spectra for Surface Analysis (SESSA). These applications include: (i) the determination of effective atten-uation lengths for different XPS configurations, algorithms, and materials; (ii) examination of the effects of elastic scattering on film thicknesses obtained from the Tougaard QUASES software; and (iii) estimation of XPS detection limits and amounts of material in samples with complex morphologies. An overview is also given of a recent evaluation of calculated and measured cross sections for inner-shell ionization by electron impact. New recommendations have been made for K-shell and L-and M-subshell ionization cross sections. These cross sections will be available in a new NIST database that is expected to be released in 2014.