Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) is a method of surface analysis that makes use of the Auger effect. It analyses electrons which are emitted from the sample and which, after initial excitation, undergo a series of internal relaxations.

The Auger effect was described independently by both Lise Meitner and Pierre Auger in the 1920s. Although Meitner first described the effect and published it in the Journal of Physics in 1922, the scientific community attributes the effect to Auger.

The 710 Auger Nanoprobe was acquired in 2022 using FFG funds for research & development infrastructure support, opens an external URL in a new window as part of the ELSA project. It combines a high-resolution SEM (< 5 nm) with a high-resolution Auger electron spectrometer (< 10 nm). The combination of these techniques enables the creation of elemental distributions on the surface of materials in the nanometre range, which can be compared to SEM images. This allows the detection of tiny structures, such as defects, which can then subsequently be chemically analysed.  

The AES available at the AIC also allows material slicing with the FIB (focused ion beam) and elemental analysis using EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy). A wide range of samples can be analysed with respect to the molecular composition of thin films and interfaces, additionally information about the bonding state of e.g. metals and alloys is available.