The hard Cr-Kα X-ray source allows to obtain elemental and chemical information from roughly three times larger probing depths (i.e. 3λ·sin(θ) = 20 - 25 nm at θ = 90°) as compared to conventional XPS (i.e. 3λ·sin(θ) = 6 - 8 nm at θ = 90°); see figure. This opens unique opportunities for probing thicker film structures and buried interfaces, as well as minimizing the effects of surface contamination and ion-induced damage during sputter depth profiling.

Furthermore, the use of hard X-rays in HAXPES provides access to a wealth of deep core-level photoelectron lines and their associated core- core Auger transitions, which are not available by soft X-rays. This allows advanced chemical-state studies on the basis of the so-called Auger parameter, which is highly sensitive to changes in the local chemical environment of the constituents as function of e.g. the growth, processing and/or service conditions.

The PHI Quantes scanning microprobe is a high-throughput lab-based HAXPES/XPS instrument equipped for fully automated analysis of multiple samples placed on a 7x7 cm stage. The monochromatized soft and hard X-ray beams can be focussed to achieve a lateral resolution down to 10 μm and also scanned across the sample surface to define analysis points, areas,  lines and maps. Surface charging during analysis of electrically insulating samples can be compensated by simultaneous electron and ion neutralization. Besides the interconnected glovebox for (electro)chemical surface treatments, a much smaller transportable glove box can be attached to the entry lock for mounting ex-situ samples under an inert gas (without air exposure).

Our instrument is the first lab-based HAXPES facility in Switzerland for state-of-the-art chemical-state studies of thin films and their buried interfaces, offering unique analytical and experimental capabilities, such as:

• A much-increased attenuation length of detected photoelectrons from shallow core levels, thus allowing non-destructive analysis of the chemistry and electronic structure of thin films and their buried interfaces up to depths of about 10 - 20 nm.
• Access to deep core-level photoelectron lines and deep-core-level Auger transitions, which are not accessible by conventional lab-based XPS systems, allowing cutting-edge chemical-state studies of functional thin films, catalysts and other types of functional nanomaterials.
• Capability to separate commonly-overlapping photoelectron and Auger lines by employing much higher incident photon energies, thereby facilitating chemical-state and quantitative XPS analysis of complex multi-element compounds.
• Extended capabilities for non-destructive quantitative XPS analysis of e.g. the composition, thickness, chemical state of thin films, catalysts and other nanomaterial systems.
• Versatile experimental capabilities for in-situ thin-film growth (by magnetron sputtering; with in-situ stress monitoring), post-processing (e.g. thermal annealing, oxidation, reduction), electrochemical surface functionalizing (e.g. passivation, anodizing, chemical etching).

• Quantification of the composition, chemical state and thickness of thin films, multilayers and functional surface coatings with a lateral resolution down to 10 micrometer.
• Investigations of the chemistry and electronic structure at buried interfaces, nondestructively up to a probing depth of about 10 nm, as well as destructively by sputtering up to probing depth in the submicrometer range.
• Investigation of the chemical bonding state of secondary nano-phase(s) dispersed in a solid matrix, as well as of core-shell nanostructures.
• Employing different photon energies to resolve commonly overlapping photoelectron and Auger lines for chemical-state and quantitative XPS analysis of complex multi-element compounds, such as catalysts.

• H. Zhang, F. Okur, C. Cancellieri, L.P.H. Jeurgens, P. Annapaola, D. T. Karabay , M. Nesvadba , S. Hwang , A. Neels, M.V. Kovalenko, K.V. Kravchyk, Bilayer Dense‐Porous Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ Membranes for High‐Performance Li‐Garnet Solid‐State Batteries, Advanced Science (2023), 2205821 [DOI: 10.1002/advs.202205821].
• I. Zrinski, A. Minenkov, C. Cancellieri, C.C. Mardare, H. Groiss, A.W. Hassel, A.I. Mardare, Coexistence of memory and threshold resistive switching identified by combinatorial screening in niobium-tantalum system, Applied Surface Science 613 (2023) 155917 [DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.155917].
• I. Zrinski, M. Löfler, J. Zavašnik, C. Cancellieri, L.P.H. Jeurgens, Achim W. Hassel, Andrei I. Mardare, Impact of electrolyte incorporation in anodized niobium on its resistive switching, Nanomaterials 12 (2022) 813 [DOI: 10.3390/nano12050813].
• I. Zrinski, A. Minenkov, C. Cancellieri, R. Hauert, C.C. Mardare, J.P. Kollender, Lars P.H. Jeurgens, H. Groiss, A.W. Hassel, A.I. Mardare , Mixed oxides for forming-free anodic memristors revealed by combinatorial screening of hafnium-tantalum system, Applied Materials Today 26 (2022) 101270 [DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2021.101270].
• R. Dubey, J. Sastre, C. Cancellieri, F. Okur, A. Forster, L. Pompizii, A. Priebe, Y.E. Romanyuk, L.P.H. Jeurgens, M.V. Kovalenko, K.V. Kravchyk, Building a Better Li-Garnet Solid Electrolyte/Metallic Li Interface with Antimony, Advanced Energy Materials (2021) 2102086 [DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202102086].
• K. Curran, N.K. Fernando, P. Bhatt, F.O.L. Johansson, A. Linblad, H. Rensmo, L. Zendejas Mendina, R. Lindblad, S. Siol, L.P.H. Jeurgens, C. Cancellieri, K. Rossnagel, K. Medjanik, G. Schönhense, M. Simon, A.X. Gray, S. Nemšák, P. Lömker, C. Schlueter, A. Regoutz, Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy - A Snapshot of the State-of-the-Art in 2020, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter (2021) 33 [DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/abeacd].
• S. Siol, J. Mann, J. Newman, T. Miyayama, K. Watanabe, P. Schmutz, C. Cancellieri, L.P.H. Jeurgens, Concepts for chemical state analysis at constant probing depth by lab-based XPS/HAXPES combining soft and hard X-ray sources, Surface & Interface Analysis (2020) 1–9 [DOI: 10.1002/sia.6790].
• O. Sambalova, E. Billeter, J. Mann, T. Miyayama, D. Burnat, A. Heel, D. Bleiner, A. Borgschulte, Hard and soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for selective probing of surface and bulk chemical compositions in a perovskite-type Ni catalyst, Surface & Interface Analysis (2020) 1–7 [DOI: 10.1002/sia.6790].
• A. Beni, N. Ott, M. Pawelkiewicz, M. Wardé, K. Young, B. Bauer, P. Rajput, B. Detlefs, J. Zegenhagen, R. McGrath, M-G Barthés-Labrousse, L.P.H. Jeurgens, P. Schmutz, Hard X –Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) characterisation of electrochemical passivation oxide layers on Al-Cr-Fe Complex Metallic Alloys (CMAs), Electrochemistry Communications 46 (2014) 13-17 [DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2014.05.024].