XPS Instrument Owner-Registration
to join International XPS Instrument Registration “IXIR” system

To join the IXIR System – please complete the “XPS Instrument Registration Form” (see below)

 

The information (data) from the ” XPS Instrument Registration” questionnaire (shown below) are the starting point for all XPS scientists and instrument owners around the world to:

  • Build an On-Line Database system that will clearly show the reliability, or unreliable nature of the thousands of the BEs produced from thousands of different materials by the thousands of different XPS instruments located around our world, and
  • Guide us how to modify (correct) thousands of published BEs to match our BE scale by knowing the calibration Cu (2p3), Cu (3p), Au (4f7) BEs that is used on each XPS instrument, and
  • View their user-defined choice for the C (1s) BE that is used to charge correct (charge reference) non-conductive insulators

This On-Line IXIR Database system will provide Same-Date “SCREEN-CAPTURES” of three (3) Measured (calibration) spectra, and the actual Peak-fits used to measure the Cu (2p3), Cu (3p), and Au (4f7) signals from freshly ion-etched calibration metals (Cu, and Au) immediately after each of these 3 high energy resolution (chemical state) spectra were collected.

On a monthly basis, this on-line IXIR system will automatically contact each XPS Instrument Owner to request a fresh set of the same 3 spectra from freshly ion etched Cu and Au, every month, until the Instrument Owner can no longer provide these 3 SCREEN-CAPTUREs from peak-fitted spectra from Cu (2p3), Cu (3p), and Au (4f7) signals .  In effect, this On-line Database builds trend charts or run charts for each XPS instrument.

The 3 SCREEN-CAPTUREs must be sent to the E-mail:  bvcrist @ xpslibrary.com, until the on-line database system is able to accept 3 images directly uploaded into the on-line IXIR database by the XPS instrument owner.

The expected (or desired) Calibration BEs for each XPS instrument (based on Serial Number, #) will be listed in the on-line IXIR database.  This on-line database will be available 24/7 to Registered Owners and Registered Members around the world.  This on-line database of Measured BEs from Cu (2p3), Cu (3p), and Au (4f7), together with the desired (or expected) Calibration BEs, and Instrument Performance results will help everyone around the world by revealing differences in BEs scales, the trends (run charts), and user-defined choices of the C (1s) BE (eV).

The list of advantages derived by accessing and using the IXIR On-Line Database include:

  • Improved accuracy and correctness of the XPS results, BEs, and improved chemical state assignments that we publish, and that we find in thousands of scientific journals,
  • Improved reliability of the measured BEs from non-conductive insulators, and also conductive materials published in domestic and international journals
  • Help each of us to measure more reliable chemical states, which will greatly advance the products produced by Material Science in our future

This IXIR On-Line Database system helps each scientist around the world to better understand each XPS instrument, and how reliable and accurate the BEs are from each XPS instrument listed in the IXIR system, based on:

  • Which Calibration BEs are being used on that specific XPS Instrument, which is associated with the Serial Number (#) of that specific XPS instrument?
  • How well does the Owner of that XPS instrument keep track of their Measured BEs from Cu (2p3), Cu (3p) and Au (4f7), again, based on Serial Number (#)?
  • How frequently are the Calibration BEs checked for that particular XPS instrument?

This IXIR On-Line Database system provides users with absolutely vital information about each XPS instrument locates around the world, including:

  • The 3 key Calibration BEs (Cu 2p3, Cu 3p, and Au 4f7 BEs) that the Instrument Owner (person responsible for checking BE calibration) accepts, and uses to keep the BE scale as close as possible to the desired Calibration BEs
  • What C (1s) BE (eV) is used to Charge Reference (charge correct) all non-conductive materials (insulators) for that XPS instrument (adventitious carbon, deposited carbon, or ….)
  • FWHM (peak-width) of Au (4f7) signal from the high energy resolution spectrum of freshly ion-etched that is due to a specific Pass Energy (PE), e.g PE = 50 eV, PE= 25 eV …..

The by far Best Advantages of having access to the IXIR On-Line Database are:

  • By knowing the exact C (1s) BE (eV) of the Adventitious Carbon that was used to Charge Reference (charge correct) BEs on a specific XPS instrument (based on serial #), each of us will be able to correct published BEs to match our preferred C (1s) BE (eV).
  • By knowing which Cu (2p3) BE (eV) and which Cu (3p) BE (eV) were used by scientists using a specific XPS instrument (based on serial #), we can adjust their published BEs to match the energy scale of our in-house XPS instrument, and make more accurate chemical state assignments.
  • Old literature shows us that the measured BEs used to calibrate the low BE end of the energy scale do not vary a large amount, but the old literature also shows us that the HIGH BE end of the energy scale suffered from a range of Cu (2p3) BEs ranging from 932.2 eV to 932.8 eV,  This 0.6 eV uncertainty in the upper BE scale means that BEs in the 500-1200 eV range need to be “scaled” as the BE of the scale increased.  This represent a non-linear scaling problem that caused many chemical state assignments to be wrong!
  • Research on the BEs of Cu (2p3) and Au (4f7) BEs obtained from a series of freshly ion etched AuCu alloys (75:25, 50:50, 25:70 ratios) shows that XPS can readily measure small Chemical State Shifts, as small as 0.2 to 0.3 eV

The reason that the instrument production Serial Number (#) is requested, is that the “Instrument Registration Information” from that XPS instrument will be forever associated with that specific XPS instrument, until it is destroyed or taken apart for spare parts.

If you are able to be an integral part of this IXIR system, then you should ACCEPT the request (requirement) to provide all 3 of the actual SCREEN-CAPTUREs of your measured Cu (2p3), Cu (3p), and Au (4f7) BEs (spectra) that were actually produced by your XPS instrument(s) on the day of the Month that must be shown in all 3 SCREEN-CAPTUREs.

All registered IXIR members Thank You Very Much for accepting this responsibility, and we all thank you for helping each of us to produce more reliable BEs, more reliable chemical state assignments that will produce improved Materials for everyone around our beautiful world!

If however, you do NOT and can NOT ACCEPT the request (requirement) to provide the SCREEN-CAPTUREs that prove what Cu (2p3), Cu (3p), and Au (4f7) BEs then you should NOT complete the IXIR Questionnaire located below.  Thank you for your kind consideration.

 

 

IXIR Registration Form Questionnaire

 

Only administrators can add new users.