Project Z02 provides service measurements to support the determination of defect energy levels, segregation effects, and the influence of the Fermi energy on sample synthesis and the analysis of space-charge regions, segregation effects, and surface catalytic processes. For this purpose, the project will operates it own laboratory-based, two-color (mono Al Kα + mono hard X-ray source) NAP-PES system at TU Darmstadt to enable advanced analysis of electro ceramic oxide materials in close connection to the projects employing electron spectroscopy for analysis of defect and interface properties.

The Z02 project provides measurements of the materials synthesized under relevant operating conditions and in the presence of applied electrical fields via X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies and combined electrical conductivity analysis. This will allow us to study the influence of different gas atmospheres on surface speciation and electronic structure of both core level and valence band regions including the determination of the Fermi level. The two excitation sources with more surface (Al Kα) and more bulk (Ga or Cr anode) sensitivity feature measurements of space-charge region at different depths and buried interfaces. Furthermore, work function changes in relation to external stimuli such as variations of temperature, pressure, and gas composition as well as electric potentials and illumination are examined. Besides determining the electronic structure changes in the presence of gas or vapor atmospheres at pressures relevant to operation, materials processing steps will be followed in situ. For instance, oxide, hydroxide, or carbonate formation upon exposure to O2, H2O, and CO2 vapor, reduction and oxidation of ceramic samples, defect formation, and surface segregation upon annealing in different atmospheres.