Specific Process Knowledge/Characterization/XPS/SoftwareInstall

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Unless otherwise stated, all content on this page was created by Jonas Michael-Lindhard, DTU Nanolab


Installation of XPS software

You will need some kind of dedicated software to analyze and interpret the XPS spectra. The internet has many such software packages among which are:

  • Avantage: A software platform developed by Thermofisher for acquisition and processing of XPS spectra on their tools. Since both the XPS K-Alpha and the XPS Nexsa have been manufactured by Thermofisher, Avantage is the native software used on these instruments and no data export or conversion will be necessary. DTU has an academic license that covers all DTU projects for which Avantage can be freely downloaded and licensed, see below. For other academia and commercial users another solution has been established, see also below.
  • CasaXPS: A commercial XPS data analysis platform that is much more sophiscated compared to Avantage. DTU has an academic license: CasaXPS can be downloaded at http://www.casaxps.com/ or by using the links below.

Due to the licensing of the software packages, your access to them will depend on whether you are a DTU employee/student (with a valid *@dtu.dk email address) or an external user/other academia.

Users from DTU

Avantage

Download and install:
To install the last version of Avantage (Thermofisher seems to have stopped at version 5.9931; we did not yet transition to version 6.x), please click the link below.

License:
Unzip the file and run the install file. At some point a nine digit computer number (for your installation) will be given and you will be prompted for a processing licence. To get a license, write an email to Thermo msd.support.nordic@thermofisher.com requesting a standard processing license - since the license only applies to DTU staff and students, your official DTU email must be used. You will also have to inform for which system the license has to be used:

Usually you will have an answer within a day or two. Use the license to activate Avantage and you are ready to analyze your data.

CasaXPS

Download and install:
You can find and download the latest version of CasaXPS at http://www.casaxps.com/berlin/. For the DTU users of our lab, we have a download version (CasaXPS version 2.3.22PR1.0) on the cleanroom drive at U:\Nlab\CleanroomDrive\XPS\CasaXPS.

Unzip the file and you will generate a folder called Casa2325rev1-0P that contains the executable file CasaXPS.exe. The file is not an install file but the CasaXPS application itself. Therefore

  1. Make sure to copy the Casa2325rev1-0P folder to an appropriate location from which the application can be launched safely.
  2. Always make sure to run the CasaXPS.exe from this location. Do not make copies of the executable file, instead make desktop shortcuts to the executable.

License:
DTU has an academic license that covers everybody with a DTU email address. If you do not already have it, you can contact one of the following:

  • DTU Nanolab: Jonas Michael-Lindhard:click here
  • DTU Energy responsible

In CasaXPS open the 'About CasaXPS' and enter user name and license.

For non-DTU academia and commercial users

The users that do not have a valid DTU email address (non-DTU academia and commercial users) are not covered by our license. The price of a license for Avantage is unrealistically high for the average external user and it is therefore not realistic to request external users to acquire one. As a consequence, we have established another solution that will provide access to the following software packages to non-DTU afiliated users of the XPS tools:

  • Avantage
  • CasaXPS
  • OMNIC (The software package required for analysing the Raman spectra recorded on the XPS Nexsa)

The solution is a virtual PC with Avantage, CasaXPS and OMNIC installed that only users on a specific list can log on to for the purpose of analysing XPS data. What to do:

  1. Write to Jonas (jmli@dtu.dk or click here) requesting to be added to the list.
  2. You need a VPN connection to DTU. To get that, you need to do the following:
    1. Make sure that you have configured your Multi Factor Authentication (MFA or 2 factor login) at DTU basen. Go to https://dtubasen.dtu.dk which is a DTU webpage that also requires MFA. It will guide you while setting it up.
    2. Log on to https://net.ait.dtu.dk/vpn and download/install the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client (if not already done).
  3. Log on with win\xxxx where xxxx is your DTU initials.
  4. Using the Windows Remote Desktop Connection, log on to nlab-xps-avanta with the same login.