VAMAS Standard Data Transfer File Format
The Surface Chemical Analysis Standard Data Transfer Format, developed by various users and manufacturers in the VAMAS community, allows data from any system to be read by any compatible software to allow quantitative surface analysis.
The VAMAS format is very general in order to accommodate elemental maps, depth profiles, and data sequences arising from the compatible methods AES, EDX, FABMS, ISS, SIMS, SNMS, UPS, XPS, XRF. An ISO standard, ISO 14976:1998, describes the VAMAS format.
Checking compliance with VAMAS format
In order to use the VAMAS format to transfer data between one system and another it is important that files are correctly formatted. To aid those programmers writing software to deal with VAMAS files, NPL has developed two vital tools, available for download free of charge:
NPL VAMAS e-Viewer
NPL has also developed an emailable viewer for XPS or SIMS spectra. The recipients need no special software to view the spectra as the eViewer can be sent with the spectrum. NPL eViewer is designed to work with spectra in ISO 14976 / VAMAS format or one of several similar text files, and is available totally free of charge.