X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of catalyst based zinc oxide thin films

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful tool for surface and interface analysis, providing an elemental composition of surfaces and the local chemical environment of adsorbed species. The surface composition and chemical states of the F/ZnO and In/ZnO catalysts deposited using spray technique have been studied by high resolution and high sensitivity X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A hybrid multiline method is proposed for quantitative XPS analysis that combines the first principles approach with the experimental determination of overall response function. The chemical shifts of XPS core lines for Zn (2P3/2, F 1s and In 3d) and Auger parameter for zinc (βZn = 2012.6, 2011.48 eV for F/ZnO and In/ZnO, respectively) have been calculated. The results have been used to determine the bond iconicity (0.55).

Research highlights
► The two step approach for quantitative XPS analysis of ZnO films has been reported.
► Surface composition and chemical states of F and In/ZnO catalysts have been studied.
► The chemical shifts and Auger parameter have been investigated.