ASTM_E_1829_-_14.pdf

Designation:E182914Standard Guide forHandling Specimens Prior to Surface Analysis1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1829;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide covers specimen handling and preparationprior to surface analysis and applies to the following surfaceanalysis disciplines:1.1.1 Auger electron spectroscopy(AES),1.1.2 X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS or ESCA),and1.1.3 Secondary ion mass spectrometry(SIMS).1.1.4 Although primarily written for AES,XPS,and SIMS,these methods may also apply to many surface-sensitiveanalysis methods,such as ion scattering spectrometry,low-energy electron diffraction,and electron energy lossspectroscopy,where specimen handling can influence surface-sensitive measurements.1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E1078 Guide for Specimen Preparation and Mounting inSurface Analysis2.2 ISO Standards:3ISO 18115-1 Surface chemical analysisVocabularyPart1:General terms and terms used in spectroscopyISO 18115-2 Surface chemical analysisVocabularyPart2:Terms used in scanning-probe microscopy3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of surface analysis termsused in this guide,see ISO 18115-1 and ISO 18115-2.4.Significance and Use4.1 Proper handling and preparation of specimens is par-ticularly critical for analysis.Improper handling of specimenscan result in alteration of the surface composition and unreli-able data.Specimens should be handled carefully so as to avoidthe introduction of spurious contaminants.The goal must be topreserve the state of the surface so that analysis remainsrepresentative of the original subject.4.2 AES,XPS,and SIMS are sensitive to surface layers thatare typically a few nanometres thick.Such thin layers can besubject to severe perturbations from improper specimen han-dling(1).44.3 This guide describes methods to minimize the effects ofspecimen handling on the results obtained using surface-sensitive analytical techniques.It is intended for the specimenowner or the purchaser of surface analytical services and thesurface analyst.Because of the wide range of types ofspecimens and desired information,only broad guidelines andgeneral examples are presented here.The optimum handlingprocedures will be dependent on the particular specimen andthe needed information.It is recommended that the specimensupplier consult the surface analyst as soon as possible withregard to specimen history,the specific problem to be solved orinformation needed,and the particular specimen preparation orhandling procedures required.The surface analyst also isreferred to Guide E1078 that discusses additional proceduresfor preparing,mounting,and analysis of specimens.5.General Requirements5.1 The degree of cleanliness required by surface-sensitiveanalytical techniques often is much greater than for other formsof analysis.5.2 Specimens must never be in contact with the bare hand.Handling of the surface to be analyzed should be eliminated orminimized whenever possible.5.3 Specimens should be transported to the analyst in acontainer that does not come into direct contact with thesurface of interest.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E42 on SurfaceAnalysis and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E42.03 on Auger ElectronSpectroscopy and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.Current edition approved Oct.1,2014.Published November 2014.Originallyapproved in 1996.Last previous edition approved in 2009 as E1829 09.DOI:10.1520/E1829-14.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from International Organization for Standardization(ISO),1,ch.dela Voie-Creuse,CP 56,CH-1211 Geneva 20,Switzerland,http:/www.iso.org.4The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list of references at the end ofthis standard.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 5.4 In most cases,the analysis will be performed on the“asreceived”specimen.Surface contamination or atmosphericadsorbates are not usually removed because of the importanceof analyzing an unaltered surface and as these are often theregions of interest.Care must then be taken in handling thespecimen to ensure that no outside agents come in contact withthe surface to be investigated.These agents inclu