Surface and thin film analysis with electron and mass spectrometric techniques

We give a short overview of recent analytical techniques for compositional surface analysis and the determination of concentration depth profiles. More specifically, the principle, the instrumentation and the performance of the routinely used electron spectroscopic and mass spectrometric methods, namely Photo- and Auger Electron Spectroscopy PES and AES, resp. Secondary ion and Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry SIMS and SNMS, are described. The application of these techniques to the analysis of thin film structures is demonstrated by corresponding practical examples. The potentialities of the different techniques are specifically addressed with regard to the quantitation of the measured data, detection limits for trace analysis as well as the spatial resolution both in directions parallel and perpendicular to the sample surface.