Modern techniques of surface science

This is a new and fully revised edition of a very successful and widely used book. It describes the physical basis of all the principal, and most of the more specialised, techniques currently employed in the study of well-characterised solid surfaces. The book's scope has been broadened by the inclusion of new sections on surface X-ray diffraction, inverse photoemission and scanning tunnelling microscopy.

The techniques are grouped according to the underlying physics and are described in eight chapters. The coverage of each method includes illustrations of its uses with selected examples, underpinned by discussion of the relevant physical principles. In dealing with the strengths and weaknesses of the various techniques, their complementary aspects are also described. Throughout, the emphasis is on understanding the concepts involved, rather than on an exhaustive review of applications.

Although some mention is made of the potential use of some of the methods in studying technical surfaces, the book concentrates on the basic chemistry and physics of well-characterised surfaces under ultra-high vacuum conditions, and aims to elucidate their structural, compositional, electronic and vibrational properties.

The book will be of great use to final year undergraduate and postgraduate students in physics, chemistry and materials science. It will also be valuable to established researchers in any area of surface science concerned with the acquisition and analysis of experimental data.