In making x ray measurements where you have two or three elements with core levels at different Kinetic energy.
Is it possible to get the same depth information for all the elements?
For example, You electron coming form O1s orbitals , Mg3s and from the Si2p orbitals?
Dear Chinedu Onyeke ,
to my opinion,
same 'depth' for all these types of electrons is not 'simultaneously' achievable, because the free mean electron path length depends on the kinetic energy KE (= difference of excitation energy minus binding energy, or = Auger energy) and thus for fixed excitation energy the KE is not equal for all your elements...
Best regards
G.M.
To build on the previous answer, you should consider the path that the X-rays take into the sample as well as the path that the electrons take out of the sample and into your spectrometer.
Both are dependent on the respective angle and will have an energy-dependent absorption length. The X-rays excite the sample with a depth profile depending on incident and angle and photon energy (in the simplest case an exponential decay from the interface, although at small angles and thin samples, standing wave effects can modify this); then, atoms will have an energy-dependent absorption cross-section, which is the "true" spectrum of interest. If you considered how many electrons are emitted at which depth in your sample, you need only consider their way into your spectrometer, which again depends on the (kinetic energy-dependent) mean free paths.
If you are working with relatively hard incident X-rays and non-grazing incident angles, the electronic mean free path is likely much shorter than the X-ray penetration depth so that you may be able to assume homogeneous excitation in good approximation.
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