A high resolution X-ray photoemission spectrometer (XPS) will be acquired with funds from the Academic Research Infrastructure Program and will be employed in the characterization of advanced materials such as ceramics, polymers, model catalyst systems and composite materials. The XPS will have an energy resolution of 0.50eV at a counting rate of greater than 100 counts per second and broad range survey counting levels will be in excess of 7 million counts per second. The facility will feature in-situ sample preparation with sample heating, gas dosing for surface reactivity experiments, and depth profiling through inert gas sputter removal. The spectrometer will be used for: characterization of polymer/ceramic and polymer/ polymer interfaces; study of surface modifiers in heterogeneous catal- ysis; understanding the processing mechanisms in photovoltaic cell synthesis; identification of bonding configuations in ion implantation surface modification; study of metal/ceramic interface properties; study of radioactive waste remediation; studies of adhesion; and studies of the corrosive behavior of ceramics. The X-ray photoemission spectrometer will be employed for a wide range of materials studies. These include the studies of a variety if interfaces and surfaces. The investigations will involve the chemical reactivity and adhesion of surfaces, the surface bonding modifications resulting from ion implantation, the catalytic properties of modified surfaces, and the study of the synthesis of photovoltaic cells.
