Search
On this page:
XPS depth profiling for thin films, coatings, and multi-layer structures
The Thermo Scientific Hypulse Surface Analysis System supplements traditional ion-beam methods with femtosecond laser ablation (fs-LA) technology to offer outstanding X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling capabilities for thin films, coatings, and multi-layer structures. Fs-LA XPS depth profiling provides even more accurate, efficient, and versatile analysis from the surface to interfaces deep with the sample. This helps you optimize fabrication and the properties of technologically important materials and devices, develop new multi-functional materials, and gain a deeper understanding of material failures.
Unlock new depths of material analysis with femtosecond laser ablation XPS
Fs-LA XPS delivers accurate, reliable surface and interface analysis without the risk of chemical damage to the sample. With this cutting-edge technique, you can quickly, efficiently, and precisely measure technologically important materials and devices to better understand their structure.
Designed for precision and accuracy, the Hypulse System allows you to explore the intricate layers of diverse materials while preserving their chemistry during the analysis. Whether you are in the electronics, metallurgy, or surface coatings industries, it provides fast, detailed, and accurate analysis.
Get the eBook
Revolutionizing XPS depth profiling for materials science
Accurate and efficient chemical analysis is essential for materials science research labs, academic institutions, and industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, polymer engineering, coating development, and the development of new multifunctional materials. Traditional ion gun-based methods for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling can have issues with certain materials, which results in data that is not completely representative of the sample.
Hypulse Surface Analysis System benefits
Achieve more accurate analysis
By combining monatomic ion beam etching, cluster ion beam etching, and fs-LA depth profiling, the Hypulse System can provide accurate results for more materials than was previously possible.
Enhance productivity
Fs-LA depth profiling can perform multiple profiles on a material in the time that one sample can be processed using ion beam profiling.
Gain a more comprehensive understanding of materials
The Hypulse System can help you practically measure depth profiles that extend beyond 10 µm into the sample. Buried layers that would take significant time to discover using ion beam profiling can be accessed more easily through fs-laser ablation depth profiling.
Optimize your research for different types of materials
Rather than choosing between cluster ions or monatomic ions, the Hypulse System’s laser settings can be tuned to the material, making it easier to profile complex composite samples.
Hypulse Surface Analysis System features
Integrated fs-laser ablation system
The Hypulse System is built around a fully integrated 1,030 nm fs-laser system and high-quality optical components. The laser is focused on the analysis position and can be attenuated through Thermo Scientific Avantage Software. The instrument is a class 1 laser system, so no special laser requirements are necessary for the laboratory.
MAGCIS ion source
To complement the fs-LA system, the Thermo Scientific MAGCIS Dual Beam Ion Source for XPS Instruments is included as standard. Automatic source optimization and gas handling ensure excellent performance and experimental reproducibility.
High-performance surface analysis
The Hypulse System is a high-performing XPS instrument and includes additional analytical techniques such as REELS and ISS to help you get the most information from your samples.
XPS insulator analysis
The patented dual-beam flood source couples low-energy ion beams with very low-energy electrons (less than 1 eV) to prevent sample charging during analysis, which eliminates the need for charge referencing and makes analyzing data from insulating samples easy and reliable.
Optional XPS sample holders
Expand your possibilities with available specialist sample holders for angle-resolved XPS, sample bias measurements, sample heating, or inert transfer from a glove box.
Avantage Software
Instrument control, data processing, and reporting are all controlled by Avantage Software. The software includes Knowledge View, a comprehensive source of tutorials and reference material that guides you through analysis.
Correlative XPS imaging and surface analysis workflow
Correlate XPS data with SEM images through the correlative imaging and surface analysis (CISA) workflow using Thermo Scientific Maps Software.
Hypulse Surface Analysis System specifications
| Analyzer type |
|
| X-ray source |
|
| X-ray spot size |
|
| Laser ablation system |
|
| Ion depth profiling |
|
| Additional included analytical methods |
|
| Maximum sample area |
|
| Maximum sample thickness |
|
Vacuum system |
|
| Optional accessories |
|
Frequently asked questions about the Hypulse Surface Analysis System
XPS depth profiling analyzes the composition and properties of a material from the surface down to the interior of the sample, detecting interfaces or changes in the bulk. This is done by first analyzing the sample surface with XPS, and then removing the analyzed material. The newly exposed sample area is then analyzed, and the process is repeated. The data collected at each level is processed and combined into a compositional plot that shows how the sample changes with increasing depth. XPS depth profiling reveals how materials behave under different conditions, and these insights can help optimize material performance for various applications.
Traditionally, material removal in XPS instruments is performed by either a monoatomic or gas cluster ion beam. Both of these have their limitations, however, and can potentially cause issues such as preferential sputtering or other chemical and structural changes, which can distort results for sensitive samples.
Femtosecond laser ablation (fs-LA) utilizes ultrafast laser pulses to remove material from a sample surface while minimizing the processes that cause chemical damage to the remaining material. This enables precise and controlled removal of material layers, helping to ensure that data collection is representative of the material’s composition. This also makes experiments much faster compared to ion sputtering, so that deeper measurements are more practical to obtain. fs-LA XPS provides highly accurate and detailed analysis for a wide range of materials, making it a powerful tool for surface analysis.
The Hypulse Surface Analysis System features multiple analytical techniques in addition to XPS, including reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), as well as optional UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Furthermore, a tilting sample holder can be added for angle-resolved XPS (ARXPS) studies, which are useful for the investigation of certain samples, such as ultra-thin films. Overall, this multi-technique capability provides comprehensive insights into the surface chemistry and structure of a wide variety of materials.
A number of complex materials, from metallurgical and solar-cell samples to polymers, have been analyzed with the damage-free, high-resolution depth profiling of fs-LA XPS. Specifically, our Hypulse Surface Analysis System brochure highlights several real-world examples, showing how the instrument has been used to analyze nitrided, PVD-coated steels, perovskite solar cells, and multi-layered paint samples.
XPS analysis resources
Hypulse Surface Analysis System documentation
Hypulse Surface Analysis System videos
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.