Deconvolution as a correction for photoelectron inelastic energy losses in the core level XPS spectra of iron oxides

Abstract In this paper core level XPS spectra of polycrystalline Fe metal and several oxides are corrected by deconvolution using the ratio method for energy loss effects and spectral broadening due to both an achromatic x‐ray source and finite analyzer resolution. These ideas are applied to the XPS spectra of Fe, FeO, Fe 2 O 3 , and Fe 3 O 4 in order to obtain the intrinsic lineshape. The backscattered electron energy loss spectra are effective in distinguishing Fe and its oxides. For Fe metal and its oxides, the electron energy loss deconvolved spectra have a flat baseline and enhanced resolution. This background removal method is found to be more reliable than either linear or sigmodial background approximations. This allows for a determination of the relative sensitivity factor for the Fe 2p and O 1s core levels.