ISO 17973:2024

Overview

ISO 17973:2024 specifies a practical method to calibrate the kinetic energy scales of medium‑resolution Auger electron spectrometers (AES) for elemental surface analysis. The standard targets routine analytical use with an energy uncertainty of 3 eV and defines procedures to establish and maintain a calibration schedule. It applies to instruments operating in direct or differential mode with resolution ≤ 0.5% and, for differential mode, a modulation amplitude of 2 eV peak‑to‑peak. Instruments must be equipped with an inert gas ion gun (or equivalent) for sample cleaning and an electron gun capable of ≥ 4 keV beam energy.

Key topics and requirements

• Calibration accuracy: Kinetic energy scale calibrated to an uncertainty of 3 eV for elemental identification.
• Reference materials: Use polycrystalline metal foils - Cu plus Au (preferred for high SNR and scans to 2 100 eV) or Cu plus Al (for lower SNR or limited scan range). Typical foils: ≥ 99.8% purity, ~10 × 10 mm, 0.1–0.2 mm thick.
• Sample preparation & mounting:
  • Clean by ion sputtering until oxygen and carbon peaks are each < 2% of the most intense metal peak in the survey.
  • Mount with metallic electrical contact (no double‑sided tape).
• Instrument settings:
  • Prefer direct mode; if differential only, set modulation to 2 eV p‑p.
  • Calibrate for each combination of analyser settings (pass energy, slits, lens, retardation ratio) used in routine measurements.
  • Verify detector operation is within its linear range and avoid counting‑rate saturation.
• Measurement procedure:
  • Record selected Auger peaks (Cu M VV, Cu L VV and Au/Al peaks) and compare measured kinetic energies with reference values to compute correction.
  • Implement and log energy scale corrections and repeat calibrations per defined schedule.
• Performance checks: Signal‑to‑noise thresholds (e.g., Cu L VV counts per channel) and recommended beam energies (often 10–20 keV for better SNR).

Applications

• Routine surface chemical analysis for elemental identification in research and QC.
• Quality assurance and calibration protocols in materials science, semiconductor, coatings, and failure analysis laboratories.
• Use by calibration and metrology labs to maintain AES instrument traceability for routine elemental peak assignment.

Who should use this standard

• AES analysts and instrument operators
• Lab managers and quality/technical leads responsible for surface analysis
• Instrument manufacturers and service engineers
• Calibration/metrology laboratories requiring documented energy‑scale procedures

Related standards

• ISO 17974 - higher‑accuracy energy calibration (for needs beyond 3 eV)
• ISO 18115 - surface chemical analysis vocabulary (reference terms used in ISO 17973)

Keywords: ISO 17973:2024, Auger electron spectroscopy, AES calibration, energy scale, kinetic energy calibration, medium‑resolution Auger spectrometers, Cu Au Al reference foils, ion sputtering, calibration schedule.