Surface chemistry has become a very important analytical approach for the study of heterogeneous catalysts, semiconductors and corroded surfaces. Yet undergraduates receive very little introduction to the field in the classroom and none in the laboratory. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are two complimentary surface techniques and are the most commonly used of the surface analysis techniques. Equipment has been purchased that is mounted onto an existing vacuum system so that the system is configured for the large number of samples that are involved in student use. Students use this equipment in physical chemistry and instrumental analysis course to learn the strengths of each technique and see how they can use the two to determine the surface elemental composition and chemistry and to determine film thickness. The institution is matching the NSF grant with an equal amount of funds.
