Specific Process Knowledge/Characterization/XPS/Processing/ALDSandwich1/2Survey: Difference between revisions
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Judging by the way the background is fitted, it looks as if the software is programmed to fit the background below only the Ti2p<sub>3/2</sub> peak. The other part of the spin couple (the Ti2p<sub>1/2</sub> peak) is some 6 eV away on the higher binding energy side. Knowing that titanium will oxidize completely if oxygen is present we can expect only to see Ti<sup>4+</sup>. However, since the sputtering of the surface by Ar ions will usually act as mildly reducing, we can expect that intermediate oxidation steps of Ti will appear as the TiO<sub>2</sub> is sputtered. These intermediate states will cause the expected dip between the two peaks of the Ti2p(<sup>4+</sup>) spin orbit couple to disappear and the fitting of the background goes wrong. | Judging by the way the background is fitted, it looks as if the software is programmed to fit the background below only the Ti2p<sub>3/2</sub> peak. The other part of the spin couple (the Ti2p<sub>1/2</sub> peak) is some 6 eV away on the higher binding energy side. Knowing that titanium will oxidize completely if oxygen is present we can expect only to see Ti<sup>4+</sup>. However, since the sputtering of the surface by Ar ions will usually act as mildly reducing, we can expect that intermediate oxidation steps of Ti will appear as the TiO<sub>2</sub> is sputtered. These intermediate states will cause the expected dip between the two peaks of the Ti2p(<sup>4+</sup>) spin orbit couple to disappear and the fitting of the background goes wrong. | ||
What to do about this? | |||
# Continue with the fitting of the high resolution scans - here we will have a much better chancer to work with the fitting of the peaks. | |||
# Use a [https://xpssimplified.com/magcis_ion_system.php MAGCIS gas cluster ion source] instead in another instrument to avoid the reducing action of the Ar (single) ion source. | |||