Photoeleclron spectroscopy

X-ray photoeleclron spectroscopy is currently the most widely used surface analytical technique, and is therefore described here in more detail than any of the other techniques. At its inception by SiEGBAHN and coworkers [10] it was called ESC A (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis), but the name ESCA is now considered too general, since many surface electron spectroscopies exist, and the name given to each one must be precise. Nevertheless, the name ESCA is still used in many places, particularly in industrial laboratories and their publications. Briefly, the reasons for the popularity of XPS are the exceptional combination of compositional and chemical information that it provides, its ease of operation, and the ready availability of commercial equipment. 

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