Undressing the myth of apparent constant binding energy of the C 1 s peak from adventitious carbon in x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract

As evidenced by more than 12,000 papers published annually, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is an indispensable technique in modern materials science for the analysis of surface chemistry. However, a literature survey reveals that in the vast majority of cases an incorrect referencing of the binding energy scale is used, neglecting warnings that have been formulated from the early days of the technique. Consequences for the data reliability are disastrous and decades of XPS work may require revisiting.