Numerical methods for quantification of Auger sputter depth profiles from oxide films on stainless steels

Accurate quantification of Auger sputter depth profiles from oxide films on stainless steels is complicated by two spectral overlaps: O/Cr and Cl/Mo. The chlorine/molybdenum overlap is readily resolved using target factor analysis or any other related method, assuming that there is no molybdenum on the surface. The O/Cr overlap is more difficult to resolve, because the oxide films on stainless steels usually contain large amounts of chromium. It is shown that by using a Cr base spectrum acquired from a sputter‐cleaned surface and an oxide spectrum acquired from Mo oxide, it is possible to resolve the O/Cr overlap for passive films as well as annealing oxides. This gives less noise and higher accuracy, because the operator‐dependent definition of a background at the higher binding energy side of the Cr 529 eV peak is avoided.