| Abstract: | The topography and the composition of a surface are in many cases of equal importance (catalysis, electroplating, pretreatment of foils and sheet metal, corrosion, passivation, adsorption, coating of fibers, etc.), and this explains the great interest in methods of investigation that reveal both. If the demands on the resolving power, the analytical possibilities, and the thickness of the surface layer are not too exacting, combined devices like the scanning electron microscope and its analytical accessories can be used. When it is necessary to avoid the compromises involved in simultaneous imaging and analysis, the investigations must be carried out with separate equipment. As an example of a method for the analysis of surfaces we consider briefly photo- and Auger electron spectroscopy (ESCA). |
