19/30364173 DC

This International Standard is provided to assist in the surface analysis of thin films on materials which are not thought to contain carbon compounds as intended components but for which a C 1s peak is observed in the survey spectrum. The films may be those generated on metals and alloys by aerobic or electrochemical oxidation or be those deposited on inert substrates. The procedure described is not suitable for discontinuous deposits of particles on a substrate. With this exception, a simple procedure is provided for identifying the C 1s signal from carbon-containing surface contamination. Such contamination might have arisen from exposure to an environment prior to analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or from within the spectrometer itself. When the C 1s peak is identified as arising from an adventitious over-layer the composition derived from the survey spectrum can be corrected for its influence. Recommended procedures are provided in the form of simple Rules structured in the 'If –Then' format with the intention that the information they embody might be utilised by automated procedures in data-systems. Such a real time (or near-real-time) analysis will provide a framework of understanding that the analyst might use in setting up subsequent more detailed investigations of the surface, The Rules provided utilize only information retrieved from the XPS survey scan. As such, they provide a starting point for the further interpretation of survey scans by other programs and in some cases might provide information that is not available from the chosen detail scans.