If the composition of a bulk material or a thin layer has to be analyzed, the choice of the analytical technique depends on the information already available at the beginning and on the information which are required (main elements, trace elements, chemical compounds). It is also decidive, if a bulk, surface or layer analysis has to be conducted. To analyze the composition of a surface, analytical methods are required, which are characterized by a low depth of information (< 10 nm). These are for example X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) or Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Moreover ATR-IR, a specific method of infrared spectroscopy, is available. In some instances the SEM/EDS microanalysis can also make contributions, however the depth of information in EDS is already in the range of ~ 1 micron. Nevertheless low voltage imagaging by SEM can allow to visualize the lateral distribution of thin layers on surfaces.
