Rare earth oxides Eu2O3 and Nd2O3 analyzed by XPS

Trioxide compounds of the critical rare earth elements Eu and Nd were characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy after heating to remove surface carbonate and greatly reduce the contribution from surface hydroxide. High-resolution 3d and 4d spectra of the elements are presented along with O 1s spectra. The 3d and 4d spectral regions of the oxides reported here are complicated by several shake-up and shake-down satellites resulting from core-hole screening effects in the final state.