A sequential method for removing the inelastic loss contribution from Auger electron spectroscopic data

A method for removing the contribution of inelastically scattered Auger electrons from an Auger electron spectrum is presented. Each spectral data point is defined as a delta function which is convolved with an inelastic scattering function. The total observed loss contribution at any point in the spectrum is treated as a composition sum of the inelastic loss functions from all spectral data points at higher kinetic energies. The functional form of the individual contributors to the total loss contribution is obtained by utilizing the inelastic portion of electron backscatter spectra taken using primary electron beam energies close to the energy of the spectral feature under consideration. Data treated by this method are shown to be useful for quantification of surface composition and for line shape analysis. The method presented herein offers an alternative to the Van Cittert deconvolution of the entire electron backscatter function from AES data.