Improved analytical formulae for correcting elastic-scattering effects in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

We present new predictive formulae for the correction parameters Qx and βeff that are used to account for the effects of elastic scattering in quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These formulae were derived from an analysis of published calculations of Qx and βeff from extensive Monte Carlo simulations for a group of elemental solids. Two formulae are given for each parameter. One formula is a function of the single-scattering albedo and the photoelectron emission angle, and is useful for emission angles between 0° and 80°. The other formula is a function only of the single-scattering albedo and is useful for emission angles between 0° and 50°. The single-scattering albedo is in turn a simple function of two material parameters, the inelastic mean free path and the transport mean free path. The latter parameters can be determined readily from available predictive formulae for any material or from databases. The root-mean-square and mean deviations of the Monte Carlo values of Qx and βeff from those found with the new formulae are comparable to or smaller than those found with formulae published by Seah and Gilmore.