The National Centre for Electron Spectroscopy and Surface Analysis

X射线光电子能谱(XPS)被认为是材料表面表征最重要和应用最广泛的技术之一。在几纳米的采样深度内，它可以提供关于元素组成、化学形态、物种深度分布和电子结构的信息。它适用于范围广泛的不同材料，其纳米级采样深度特别适合于碳纳米管、无机纳米棒和催化剂颗粒等纳米结构材料的研究。它也是表征生物材料和各种薄膜、改性表面、金属、合金、氧化物、半导体、聚合物和复合材料表面的重要工具。位于达累斯伯里实验室的国家电子能谱和表面分析中心(NCESS)为EPSRC用户提供了世界级X射线光电子能谱仪--ESCA300科学仪器。该提案寻求为该设施自2007年4月起运行4年，以及在几个重要方向上进一步整修和发展ESCA300光谱仪提供资金。拟议的计划将维持一个在世界舞台上完全独一无二的高性能光电子能谱设施，这对多样化和蓬勃发展的用户社区的研究计划至关重要。NCESS ESCA300的高功率旋转阳极和单色Al Kα(hv=1486.6 eV)X射线源，加上其高透射率半球分析器和多通道探测器，确保它是一台用于低能量XPS的超级仪器。此外，其高能CrKβ(hv=5946.7 eV)和CuKα(hv=8047.8 eV)X射线源与半球分析仪的高动能范围相结合，为材料的高能XPS提供了独特的能力。NCESS用户群体以研究提案的形式对这一提案给予了压倒性支持，从2007年4月起的4年内使用该设施。大多数用户群体特别需要NCESS ESCA300的高性能和独特特性，如果不能使用光谱仪，他们的研究就不可能实现。对于少数用户群体来说，它是他们可以使用的唯一XPS光谱仪，开放和透明的访问安排以及仪器的可靠性和工作人员的敬业科学支持对他们的研究成功至关重要。为支持这项提议而收到的用户研究贡献表明，每年总共需要290至320天的访问，该设施将承诺每年提供160天的访问。从2007年4月起，将至少有5笔EPSRC赠款到位，总价值超过150万英镑，特别是需要进入NCESS。NCESS的持续资金将确保EPSRC能够履行其对这些和其他赠款持有人的承诺，同时吸引日益多样化的英国和国际用户社区。随着达累斯伯里SRS在2008年12月接近关闭，以及钻石上直到2011年才有软X射线光电子发射光束线，NCESS将是未来几年唯一能够进行软X射线电子能谱的英国国家设施。此外，在可预见的未来，NCESS将是英国唯一的设施，也是少数几个国际设施之一，能够进行高能XPS，即能够使用HV&GT；5000 eV的光子。综上所述，这些因素导致人们对进入该设施的需求很高，而且不断增加。

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is recognised as one of the most important and widely applicable techniques for the surface characterisation of materials. Within a sampling depth of a few nm it can provide information on elemental composition, chemical speciation, the depth distribution of species and electronic structure. It is applicable to an enormous range of different materials and with its nanoscale sampling depth is particularly suited to the study of nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes, inorganic nanorods and catalyst particles. It is also an important tool for characterising the surfaces of biomaterials and a wide range of thin films, modified surfaces, metals, alloys, oxides, semiconductors, polymers and composites. The National Centre for Electron Spectroscopy and Surface Analysis (NCESS) at Daresbury Laboratory provides access for EPSRC users to a world-class x-ray photoelectron spectrometer - a Scienta ESCA300. This proposal seeks funding for the operation of the facility for 4 years from April 2007 and for the further refurbishment and development of the ESCA300 spectrometer in several important directions. The proposed programme will sustain a high performance facility for photoelectron spectroscopy that is completely unique on the world stage and that is vital to the research programmes of a diverse and thriving user community.The high power rotating anode and monochromatised Al K alpha (hv = 1486.6 eV) x-ray source of the NCESS ESCA300 combined with its high transmission hemispherical analyser and multichannel detector ensure that it is a superb instrument for low energy XPS. In addition, its high energy Cr K beta (hv =5946.7 eV) and Cu K alpha (hv = 8047.8 eV) x-ray sources combined with the high kinetic energy range of the hemispherical analyser provide a unique capability for the high energy XPS of materials. The NCESS user community have given overwhelming support to this proposal in the form of research proposals to use the facility in the 4 years from April 2007. The majority of the user groups particularly require the high performance and unique characteristics of the NCESS ESCA300 and without access to the spectrometer their research would not be possible. For a small number of user groups it is the only XPS spectrometer to which they have access, and the open and transparent access arrangements together with the reliability of the instrument and the dedicated scientific support of the staff are crucially important to the success of their research.The user research contributions received in support of this proposal indicate a total requirement of between 290 and 320 days access per year and the facility will undertake to deliver 160 days per year. From April 2007 there will be at least 5 EPSRC grants in place with a total value of over 1.5M, specifically requiring access to NCESS. The continued funding of NCESS will ensure that EPSRC can meet its commitments to these and other grant holders while attracting an increasingly diverse UK and international user community. With the run down of the Daresbury SRS towards closure in December 2008 and the absence of soft x-ray photoemission beamlines on DIAMOND until 2011, NCESS will be the only UK national facility capable of soft x-ray electron spectroscopy for several years to come. Furthermore, for the foreseeable future NCESS will be the only UK based facility, and one of only a few international facilities, capable of high energy XPS, i.e. capable of using photons with hv > 5000 eV. Taken together these factors lead to the expectation of a high and increasing demand for access to the facility.