Surface chemical analysis — X-ray photoelectron spectrometers — Calibration of energy scales

ISO 15472:2010 specifies a method for calibrating the binding-energy scales of X ray photoelectron spectrometers, for general analytical purposes, using unmonochromated Al or Mg X rays or monochromated Al X rays. It is only applicable to instruments which incorporate an ion gun for sputter cleaning. It further specifies a method to establish a calibration schedule, to test for the binding-energy scale linearity at one intermediate energy, to confirm the uncertainty of the scale calibration at one low and one high binding-energy value, to correct for small drifts of that scale and to define the expanded uncertainty of the calibration of the binding-energy scale for a confidence level of 95 %. This uncertainty includes contributions for behaviours observed in interlaboratory studies but does not cover all of the defects that could occur. ISO 15472 is not applicable to instruments with binding-energy scale errors that are significantly non-linear with energy, to instruments operated in the constant retardation ratio mode at retardation ratios less than 10, to instruments with a spectrometer resolution worse than 1,5 eV, or to instruments requiring tolerance limits of ±0,03 eV or less.