Niobium surface has been studied for more than 20years and most of these studies have been driven by the demands of high performance SC cavities. Experience has shown that such performances depend critically on the surface treatment applied, be it mechanical, thermal, chemical or any combination of these. The aim of this work is to look whether there is a significant connection among the XPS data acquired on differently treated samples and the cavity performances. To do this, we extract the information out of the spectras using mathematical and statistical concepts rather than chemical knowledge. If this prooves successful, we could use the XPS as a very efficient and inexpensive tool to determine the most suitable surface treatment for the next generation SC cavities. |
