Concept of an imaging XPS system

Abstract

Abstract The concept of an imaging XPS system is analysed and the various approaches discussed. For instrument and design flexibility it is shown that a standard XPS system with an efficient input lens can be used to form a virtual image of the spectrometer input aperture on the sample surface. This defined area of analysis may be rastered across the sample surface using a pre‐lens scanning deflector system. In this way good XPS images of 256 × 256 pixels and of 250 μm resolution over an area of diameter 10 mm may be formed in ten minutes. Examples are provided from components for the electronics assembly industry demonstrating that insulators cause no problems. Design considerations are then detailed for optimizing imaging XPS systems at 25 μm and 10 μm spatial resolution involving pre‐lens scanning systems and position‐sensitive detectors.