Quantitative XPS analysis of aluminium in the presence of copper

Quantification of aluminium in the presence of copper is a fundamental problem in XPS analysis due to peak overlap. This article presents and demonstrates the utility of a simple approach to alleviate this difficulty based on measurement of the P: S combination peak area ratio. It is particularly appropriate for inclusion in this Festshrift edition of the journal dedicated to Professor Jim Castle, who has worked extensively on copper-aluminium alloys throughout his long career. Incorporation of the method into commercial data systems and, particularly, an expert system is recommended so that the analyst can be alerted to the likely presence of aluminium and provided with a means to quantify the amount. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.