[X-ray absorption spectroscopy study on nanowires and nanotubes of carbon and silicon]

Due to the different sampling depth, the total electron yield (TEY) is sensitive to the surface and near surface region, while the fluorescence yield (FLY) probes the information of the bulk. Thus the combined use of TEY and FLY provides a powerful evidence for identifying the whole sample whether or not it is a nanoscale material, and is a supplement of the conventional methods for characterizing nanoscale materials, such as TEM and XRD. With analyses of X-ray absorption spectra recorded in TEY and FLY mode, it could be used for studying the mechanism of growth, orientation, chemical bonding, defect and helicity of nanowires and nanotubes exactly and reliably. Therefore, it is believed that X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a powerful characterization tool for the study of nanoscale materials, which has some super advantages over conventional methods.