Auger parameter studies of third-row chemical elements

The Auger parameter (AP) studies available in the literature are usually based on Auger transitions involving only core-level electrons. In this paper, besides the usual AP - ?*Z = [BE(2p)] + [KE(KL23L23)], (Z = third-row chemical elements)--we also considered the AP involving core-valence-valence Auger transitions - ?*Z = [BE(2p)] + [KE(L23VV)]. The chemical shifts for ?* between Al0 and Al2O3 and between Si0 and SiO2 are more than twice that for ?*, whereas the difference in such chemical shifts progressively decreases with increasing Z. While the inelastic mean free path (?) associated with ?* spans the range ?2.5-4.5 nm, ?* relates to a much more surface-specific analysis, i.e. 0.5 < ? < 2.5 nm. We discuss the diagnostic potential of ?* and outline its advantages and shortcomings in the surface and interface analysis of materials.