X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS)

In 2024-2025, RENEW purchased and installed a state-of-the-art Thermo Fisher ESCALab QXi3 X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer microprobe (ESCALab): a powerful multi-functional system for surface analysis of materials, with many applications in both science and engineering.

Made possible by an Enabling Equipment Grant, this instrumentation will encourage innovation and keep in-house samples that were previously sent to external—and costly—laboratories. The ESCALab can perform X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (IPES), Auger emission spectroscopy (AES), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). The system is equipped with multiple X-ray anodes to enable tailored experimental design for soft and hard X-ray analyses (up to 4,510 eV) and is capable of high-resolution X-ray and electron imaging and depth-profiling experiments. Sample pump-down and introduction are automated for rapid, seamless transfer and enhanced throughput, reducing the time required to bring samples into the vacuum system between analyses. The system is designed to provide high-resolution surface chemical information and complete electronic band characterization for one-stop analysis of materials and electronic components, including powders.