3. Quantitative analysis: relationship between intensity and concentration

Determining the concentrations of elements and their distribution in a given sample is the key problem for any microanalysis method. If these data were known, the physics of interactions would be sufficiently well understood to calculate the intensities of the characteristic signals that would result. The difficulty lies in finding the solution to the inverse problem, which does not necessarily admit of a unique solution, since two different samples - a homogeneous alloy on the one hand, and a stratified sample on the other - can lead to the same intensities.

As with XPS spectroscopy, Auger spectroscopy quantification has given rise to intense research activities and a particularly abundant literature. These activities were mainly initiated by the international cooperation program VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards), technical working...