Repeatability of Spectral Intensity Using an Auger Electron Spectroscopy Instrument Equipped with a Cylindrical Mirror Analyzer

Abstract

  We would report the repeated survey-spectra acquisition method in order to analyze the instability of the acquired spectrum in Auger Electron Spectroscopy. The experiment followed a sequence of continuous spectral acquisition for one hour and one-hour acquisition halt, while the electron beam irradiation was continued during the acquisition halts. The sequence was repeated three times. The intensity of the survey spectra gradually decreased, and we think this was mainly due to the surface contamination. After excluding the contamination effect, we found that the intensities of spectra revealed the gradual increase by a few percent for the acquisition time less than ~500 s and for all the electron energy examined. In contrast, the rapid intensity increase by one percent was observed for the acquisition time less than ~15 s and for the energy lower than ~600 eV. After a prolonged continuous-acquisition, the stable spectrum was finally derived, however, the acquisition halt disrupted the stable state. We think the observed instability of the spectra intensity was due to the gain fluctuations of a micro-channel plate installed in a cylindrical mirror analyzer.