X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

**Semantic type:** Research Activity

**Definition:** A quantitative spectroscopic technique that both determines the identities and percent composition of elements in a material and measures the elemental chemical and electronic states for a sample. The process, which occurs in a vacuum, involves the irradiation of the material of interest with a beam of aluminum or magnesium X-rays while measuring both the kinetic energy and number of electrons that are released from the outer surface.

**Synonyms:** - ESCA - Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis - XPS