4. Summary of fixed probe performance and limits

4.1 Performance

Auger spectroscopy allows the identification of all elements except H and He. Chemical shift can reach significant values, ∼15 eV, but it is more difficult to interpret than in XPS, so the information it is likely to give is less systematically sought? On the other hand, as a complement to identification, elements of additional chemical information can be deduced from fine analysis of the shape of CVV lines.

Note that the attenuation length of the Auger electrons λ is between 0.5 and 5 nm, and that the analysis depth is equal to 3λ, whereas the surface sensitivity is much lower and can be equal to a fraction of an atomic monolayer. Similarly, the lateral dimension of the area analyzed is a fraction of a micron because it includes the area from...