Extended x-ray-absorption fine structure—Auger process for surface structure analysis: Theoretical considerations of a proposed experiment

Abstract

A method for surface structure analysis is proposed. The proposed process combines x-ray photoabsorption and Auger electron emission. The extended x-ray-absorption fine structure, occurring for photon energies above an atomic absorption edge, contains structural information of the microscopic environment due to the coupling of the photoelectron final state with the atomic initial state. Measurement of the variations in the intensity of particular Auger lines, as a function of the incident radiation energy, provides a surface sensitive measure of the photoabsorption cross section in the media. Theoretical considerations of the physical processes underlying the proposed experiment and its feasibility, and a discussion of background contributions are presented.