Exact corrections for potential modulation distortion in Auger yield measurements

Abstract

The instrument response function formalism for the potential modulation differentiation technique is used to derive the exact relationship between measured and true Auger yield. It is shown that when the yield is defined as the peak signal in the energy spectrum for a particular Auger feature (measured as the area under a peak in the derivative spectrum), and when the oscillation amplitude is small, the relationship between measured and true yield is a simple proportionality involving only the magnitude of the modulation. As the amplitude approaches the width of the Auger peak, the relationship becomes sensitive to the detailed shape of the feature. However, when the yield is defined as the area under an Auger peak in the energy spectrum (measured as the double integral of the feature in the derivative spectrum), it is found that the relationship remains independent of peak shape regardless of the magnitude of the oscillation amplitude.