Scanning ESCA: A new dimension for electron spectroscopy

Abstract

Experiments have been conducted to determine the feasibility of the theoretical experiment set forth by Cazaux. The experiment consists of electron bombarding a thin foil of aluminum with a thin specimen mounted on the opposite side. A focused scanning electron beam is used to bombard the aluminum substrate to produce a localized source of AlKα x rays. This focused Al x‐ray (hν=1.4 keV) source creates a spatially localized source of photoelectrons in the specimen. The photoelectrons are separated in energy with a cylindrical mirror spectrometer to produce an ESCA spectrum from an area of less than 20 μm in diameter. Two‐dimensional ESCA images have been obtained by this method utilizing intensity variations in the amplitude of a selected photoelectron peak to intensity modulate a cathode ray tube monitor as the electron beam is scanned.