This study considers how poor x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peak fitting in the scientific literature is both affected by previous precedent and affects future published work. It focuses on a highly cited paper (the “Subject” paper) from a respected journal that contains incorrect S 2p peak fits. This paper was studied in a genealogical fashion vis-à-vis the XPS peak fitting in its “child,” “parent,” “grandparent,” and “great-grandparent” papers. Interestingly, precedents were not followed to a high degree between parent and child papers. However, in many cases, even when the authors of a study did not follow the incorrect precedent that they cited, they still incorrectly fit their data. Thus, not necessarily for good reasons, the effects of poor XPS peak fits on future generations of papers may be less than some experts had expected or feared. In many cases, older papers appear to contain better XPS peak fitting than newer ones.
REFERENCES
1.
A.
Einstein
, Ann. Phys.
322
, 132
(1905
). 2.
P.
Van der Heide
, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: An Introduction to Principles and Practices
(John Wiley
, New York
, 2011
).3.
P. M. A.
Sherwood
, Anal. Bioanal. Chem.
405
, 2415
(2013
). 4.
F. A.
Stevie
and C. L.
Donley
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 063204
(2020
). 5.
C. S.
Fadley
, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom.
178–179
, 2
(2010
). 6.
C. J.
Powell
, Microsc. Today
24
, 16
(2016
). 7.
S.
Zafeiratos
, Applications of X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy to Catalytic Studies
(World Scientific
, Singapore
, 2023
).8.
C. S.
Fadley
, Prog. Surf. Sci.
16
, 275
(1984
). 9.
A. G.
Shard
and M. A.
Baker
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
42
, 050801
(2024
). 10.
S.
Tougaard
, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom.
178–179
, 128
(2010
). 11.
S.
Hajati
and S.
Tougaard
, Anal. Bioanal. Chem.
396
, 2741
(2010
). 12.
S.
Suzer
, E.
Strelcov
, and A.
Kolmakov
, Anal. Chem.
93
, 13268
(2021
). 13.
M.
Kjærvik
, K.
Schwibbert
, P.
Dietrich
, A.
Thißen
, and W.
Unger
, Surf. Interface Anal.
50
, 996
(2018
). 14.
D. I.
Patel
, S.
Noack
, C. D.
Vacogne
, H.
Schlaad
, S.
Bahr
, P.
Dietrich
, M.
Meyer
, A.
Thißen
, and M. R.
Linford
, Surf. Sci. Spectra
26
, 024004
(2019
). 15.
M. A.
Isaacs
, Appl. Surf. Sci. Adv.
18
, 100467
(2023
). 16.
J.
Woicik
, Hard X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES)
(Springer
, New York
, 2016
); see: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24043-5.17.
J. E.
Whitten
, Appl. Surf. Sci. Adv.
13
, 100384
(2023
). 18.
J.
Wolstenholme
, Auger Electron Spectroscopy: Practical Application to Materials Analysis and Characterization of Surfaces, Interfaces, and Thin Films
(Momentum
, New York
, 2015
).19.
M. R.
Linford
et al, Microsc. Microanal.
26
, 1
(2020
). 20.
G. H.
Major
et al, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 061204
(2020
). 21.
D. R.
Baer
, G. E.
McGuire
, K.
Artyushkova
, C. D.
Easton
, M. H.
Engelhard
, and A. G.
Shard
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
39
, 021601
(2021
). 22.
G. H.
Major
et al, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
41
, 038501
(2023
). 23.
G. H.
Major
, B. M.
Clark
, K.
Cayabyab
, N.
Engel
, C. D.
Easton
, J.
Čechal
, D. R.
Baer
, J.
Terry
, and M. R.
Linford
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
41
, 043201
(2023
). 24.
Thermo Fisher Scientific
, “X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Table of Elements”; see: https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/materials-science/learning-center/periodic-table/non-metal/sulfur.html.25.
26.
V.
Shutthanandan
, M.
Nandasiri
, J.
Zheng
, M.
Engelhard
, W.
Xu
, S.
Thevuthasan
, and V.
Murugesan
, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom.
231
, 2
(2019
). 27.
W.
Li
, H.
Yao
, K.
Yan
, G.
Zheng
, Z.
Liang
, Y.
Chiang
, and Y.
Cui
, Nat. Commun.
6
, 7436
(2015
). 28.
D.
Aurbach
, E.
Pollak
, R.
Elazari
, G.
Salitra
, C. S.
Kelley
, and J.
Affinito
, J. Electrochem. Soc.
156
, A694
(2009
). 29.
J. W.
Pinder
et al, Appl. Surf. Sci. Adv.
19
, 100534
(2024
). 30.
G.
Dyker
, Vorlesung Organische Chemie 1; see: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE3EecBGydvSW1PpR0-r1sxhDEXroxa-d.31.
G.
Dyker
, Vorlesung Organische Chemie 2; see: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE3EecBGydvRuZPNsoUcerxtW6_oNlDPD.32.
D. R.
Baer
, J. F.
Watts
, A.
Herrara-Gomez
, and K. J.
Gaskell
, Surf. Interface Anal.
55
, 480
(2023
). 33.
L.
Bornmann
and H. D.
Daniel
, J. Doc.
64
, 45
(2008
). 34.
J. T.
Evans
, H. I.
Nadjari
, and S. A.
Burchell
, JAMA
263
, 1353
(1990
). 35.
J. F.
Moulder
, W. F.
Stickle
, P. E.
Sobol
, and K. D.
Bomben
, Handbook of X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
(Physical Electronics
, Eden Prairie
, MN
, 1979
).36.
D.
Briggs
and J. T.
Grant
, Surface Analysis by Auger and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
(IM and SurfaceSpectra
, Manchester
, 2003
).37.
T.
Conard
, A.
Vanleenhove
, and P. van der
Heide
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 033206
(2020
). 38.
D. R.
Baer
et al, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
37
, 031401
(2019
). 39.
F. A.
Stevie
, R.
Garcia
, J.
Shallenberger
, J. G.
Newman
, and C. L.
Donley
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 063202
(2020
). 40.
W. E. S.
Unger
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 021201
(2020
). 41.
S.
Tougaard
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
39
, 011201
(2021
). 42.
J.
Wolstenholme
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 043206
(2020
). 43.
D. R.
Baerm
et al, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 031204
(2020
). 44.
A. G.
Shard
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 041201
(2020
). 45.
M. H.
Engelhard
, D. R.
Baer
, A.
Herrera-Gomez
, and P. M. A.
Sherwood
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 063203
(2020
). 46.
G. H.
Major
, N.
Fairley
, P. M. A.
Sherwood
, M. R.
Linford
, J.
Terry
, V.
Fernandez
, and K.
Artyushkova
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 061203
(2020
). 47.
C. J.
Powell
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 023209
(2020
). 48.
P. R.
Davies
and D. J.
Morgan
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 033204
(2020
). 49.
S. A.
Chambers
, L.
Wang
, and D. R.
Baer
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
38
, 061201
(2020
). 50.
N.
Fairley
et al, Appl. Surf. Sci. Adv.
5
, 100112
(2021
). 51.
G.
Greczynski
and L.
Hultman
, J. Appl. Phys.
132
, 011101
(2022
). 52.
G.
Greczynski
and L.
Hultman
, Prog. Mater. Sci.
107
, 100591
(2020
). 53.
M. C.
Biesinger
, Appl. Surf. Sci.
597
, 153681
(2022
). 54.
A. V.
Naumkin
, A.
Kraut-Vass
, S. W.
Gaarenstroom
, and C. J.
Powell
, NIST X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Database (SRD 20), version 5.0, National Institute of Standards and Technology; see: https://srdata.nist.gov/xps/.55.
SurfaceSpectra
, XPS of Polymers Database; see: https://surfacespectra.com/xps/.56.
V.
Crist
, The International XPS Database; see: https://xpsdatabase.net/.57.
V.
Crist
, The XPS Library; see: https://xpslibrary.com/.58.
M. C.
Biesinger
, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) Reference Pages; see: https://www.xpsfitting.com/.59.
RDATAA
, XPS Oasis; see: https://xpsoasis.org/.60.
The National XPS Service
, HarwellXPS; see: https://www.harwellxps.guru/.2024 Published under an exclusive license by the AVS.
2024
Author(s)
You do not currently have access to this content.
