Auger

Q: Is AES the same as XPS?

Both are surface-sensitive techniques. XPS provides elemental and chemical-state information and works well for most materials. AES often offers better spatial resolution for micro-area analysis and is commonly applied to conductive materials and localized defects.

Q: Can AES detect organic contamination?

AES is primarily elemental . For detailed organic chemistry identification, Xinbodi may recommend complementary methods such as FTIR or TOF-SIMS , depending on the question.

Q: Is AES destructive?

Standard AES surface measurement is minimally invasive. Depth profiling requires sputtering and is considered destructive to the analyzed area.

What Is Auger Electron Spectroscopy?

AES is an electron-beam-based surface analysis method. It detects Auger electrons emitted from the surface after excitation, enabling identification of elements in the top few nanometers of a material. Because the analysis depth is extremely shallow, AES is ideal for studying surface chemistry that strongly affects performance, reliability, adhesion, corrosion resistance, and device behavior.

What AES Measures

AES is primarily used for:

Surface elemental composition (top few nanometers)
Micro-area analysis on small regions or localized defects
Elemental mapping to visualize distributions across a surface
Depth profiling (with ion sputtering) to evaluate composition vs. depth in thin films and multilayers

Best suited for: conductive materials and many semi-conductive systems.
(Non-conductive samples may require specific preparation or alternative methods depending on charging behavior.)

Why Use AES?

AES is chosen when you need:

True surface sensitivity (not bulk-averaged results)
High spatial resolution for small features, particles, or localized defects
Thin film and interface evaluation, including layer structure and diffusion (with depth profiling)

AES often answers questions like:

What contaminant is present at the failure site?
Is there oxidation, corrosion products, or surface residues?
Is a coating or thin film uniform across a defect region?
Do elements segregate at grain boundaries or interfaces?
What changes in composition occur across film thickness?

Typical Application Scenarios

Contamination & Cleanliness Verification

Identify unknown surface residues, films, or deposits
Verify cleaning effectiveness and process contamination sources
Determine whether contamination is organic/inorganic via complementary methods

Adhesion & Delamination Investigations

Study surfaces after delamination to determine failure mode
Detect interfacial contaminants that reduce bonding strength
Compare “good vs. bad” samples to locate chemistry differences

Thin Films & Coatings

Elemental composition of thin films and coatings
Interface evaluation and diffusion across layers (depth profiling)
Surface oxidation and passivation layer assessment

Microelectronics & Semiconductor Materials

Localized analysis of small structures and regions
Composition verification for conductive films and metallization
Defect-focused surface investigations

Corrosion & Oxidation

Characterize corrosion products and oxidation layers
Determine surface enrichment or depletion of alloying elements
Support root-cause analysis for corrosion failures

Surface vs. Depth Information

Surface analysis (AES):
Measures elemental composition in the outermost surface region.

Depth profiling (AES + sputtering):
Measures how composition changes with depth, useful for:

multilayer films
diffusion studies
coatings and oxides
interfacial chemistry changes

Xinbodi selects the depth profiling approach based on film thickness, expected interfaces, and required detection sensitivity.

Sample Types & Considerations

AES is commonly used for:

metals and alloys
conductive coatings and thin films
semiconductor-related conductive layers
corrosion layers and surface treatments

Key project factors:

analysis area size
surface condition (roughness, oxidation, residues)
whether destructive testing (sputtering) is allowed
availability of “good vs. bad” comparisons

What You Will Receive

Each Auger project is delivered with a clear, structured report designed to support engineering decisions. A typical deliverable includes:

Project objective and sample description
Test plan and analysis conditions
Surface elemental results with interpretation
Elemental maps (when applicable)
Depth profile plots (when applicable)
Comparison summary (good vs. bad, supplier A vs. B, region-to-region)
Conclusions and recommended next steps
(e.g., confirmatory tests, process changes, cleaning improvements)

Why Choose Xinbodi for Auger (AES)?

Strong expertise in surface-sensitive investigation and failure analysis
Ability to analyze small features and localized defects
Clear interpretation focused on root cause and corrective action
Multi-technique support (AES + XPS/TOF-SIMS/SEM-EDS/FTIR, as needed)
Confidential handling of proprietary materials and IP-sensitive projects

FAQs

Is AES the same as XPS?

Both are surface-sensitive techniques. XPS provides elemental and chemical-state information and works well for most materials. AES often offers better spatial resolution for micro-area analysis and is commonly applied to conductive materials and localized defects.