Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)
Introduction
Auger (pronounced ~o-jay) electron spectroscopy is an electron
spectroscopic method that uses a beam of electrons to knock electrons
out of inner-shell orbitals. Auger electrons are ejected to conserve energy
when electrons in higher shells fill the vacancy in the inner shell. These
Auger electrons have energies characteristic of the emitting atom due to
the characteristic energy-level structure of that element.
Instrumentation
Picture of an Auger electron spectrometer