Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Overview
Faculty Lead in Surface Analysis
As Expert Technical Specialist in Surface Characterisation, I lead a range of advanced surface analysis facilities in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at The University of Manchester including X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS, including hard X-ray and near-ambient pressure instruments), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM, including nanoscale infrared spectroscopy, NanoIR), nanoindentation, and more. The Surface team at Manchester is comprised of 12 specialists and technicians.
Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Henry Royce Institute acquired the world first Ga Ka (9.25 keV) laboratory HAXPES system from ScientaOmicron in 2019. My research focus is on the application of this technique, which extends XPS sampling depths towards the bulk of a material, for the study of advanced materials. Applications include batteries and energy materials, actinides, metallurgy and corrosion, 2D material structures, biomedical materials, and more.
Analytical services
We deliver characterisation for external academics and industry, with access available via Henry Royce Institute (including access schemes to cover access charges for academics and SMEs), and our XPS facilities are also accessible via the EPSRC National XPS Service. We provide a full service from consultation and quotation through to data collection, analysis, and reporting, for all our surface analysis facilities.
Education/Academic qualification
Postgraduate Diploma, Management and Leadership (Level 5), The Chartered Management Institute
Award Date: 21 Aug 2025
Doctor of Philosophy, Pump-probe Spectroscopy of Photovoltaic Materials, The University of Manchester
Award Date: 31 Jul 2011
External positions
Secretary, Materials and Characterisation Group, The Institute of Physics
1 Jul 2024 → …
Co-Director, EPSRC National XPS Service
17 Aug 2023 → …
Committee Member, UKSAF (United Kingdom Surface Analysis Forum)
1 Jan 2023 → …
Areas of expertise
- QC Physics
Research Highlights, Institutes and Platforms
- Henry Royce Institute
- Photon Science Institute
- National Graphene Institute
- Advanced materials
- Energy
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 13 Climate Action
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Enhancing the emission from trilayer spintronic terahertz emitters by Cu alloying
Bull, C., Ji, R., Gething, T., Spencer, B., Thomson, T., Graham, D. & Nutter, P., 23 Feb 2026, In: AIP Advances. 16, 025341 .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Solid–liquid electrolyte interphases in quasi-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries with argyrodite-type solid electrolyte separators
Mistry, J. J., Kundu, S., Yang, L., Wang, L., Stockham, M., Spencer, B. F. & Spencer-Jolly, D., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Faraday Discussions.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Structural recovery and chemical characterisation of ion-irradiated graphite for advanced nuclear applications
Altamimi, F., Coke, M., Spencer, B., Sheraz, S., Aradi, E., Lindley, M., Lockyer, N., Curry, R., Haigh, S., Sharrad, C. & Jones, A., 25 Mar 2026, In: Carbon. 252, 14 p., 121353.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Towards Federated Laboratory Data Management
Shemilt, L., Dimosthenous, S., Ho, E., Spencer, B., Dwyer, L., Kinloch, I. & Kitney, S., 30 Jul 2026, National Federated Compute Services NetworkPlus.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile6 Downloads (Pure) -
A New Approach for Nuclear Forensics Investigations of Uranium Dioxide: Application of Laboratory-Based Photoelectron Spectroscopy with Hard and Soft X-ray Sources
Dunn, S. A., Roussel, P., Wood, A., Spencer, B., Harrison, R., Kaye, P., Higginson, M., Gilbert, M. R., Middleburgh, S. C. & Flavell, W., 1 Aug 2025, In: Applied Surface Science Advances. 28, 100782.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Datasets
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Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy of PbS QDs chemically linked to ZnO: Associated with paper published in Applied Physics Letters
Spencer, B. (Creator), University of Manchester, 18 Feb 2016
DOI: 10.15127/1.297390, http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4943077 and one more link, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:297390&datastreamId=Spencer_APL_data_SPV_ZnO_QDs.MAT (show fewer)
Dataset
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Dataset: Using HAXPES to quantify depth profiles through coatings using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (pulsed RF GD-OES)
Bouttemy, M. (Creator), Béchu, S. (Contributor), Spencer, B. F. (Creator), Dally, P. (Creator), Chapon, P. (Creator) & Etcheberry, A. (Creator), University of Manchester Figshare, 28 Jun 2021
DOI: 10.48420/14754519.v1, https://figshare.manchester.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Dataset_Using_HAXPES_to_quantify_depth_profiles_through_coatings_using_glow_discharge_optical_emission_spectroscopy_pulsed_RF_GD-OES_/14754519/1
Dataset
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Dataset: D. Zhao et al., Elucidating the mechanism of self-healing in hydrogel-lead halide perovskite composites for use in photovoltaic devices
Spencer, B. (Creator), Flavell, W. (Creator), Flavell, T. (Creator), Aljuaid, F. F. (Creator), Walton, A. S. (Creator), Thomas, A. (Creator), Edmondson, S. P. (Creator), Preobrajenski, A. (Creator) & Generalov, A. (Creator), University of Manchester Figshare, 31 May 2023
DOI: 10.48420/21750464, https://figshare.manchester.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Dataset_D_Zhao_et_al_Elucidating_the_mechanism_of_self-healing_in_hydrogel-lead_halide_perovskite_composites_for_use_in_photovoltaic_devices/21750464
Dataset
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Dataset: Ben F. Spencer et al., "Characterization of buried interfaces using Ga Kα Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES)"
Spencer, B. F. (Creator), Church, S. (Creator), Thompson, P. (Creator), Cant, D. (Creator), Maniyarasu, S. (Creator), Theodosiou, A. (Creator), Jones, A. N. (Creator), Kappers, M. J. (Creator), Binks, D. (Creator), Oliver, R. A. (Creator), Higgins, J. (Creator), Thomas, A. (Creator), Thomson, T. (Creator), Shard, A. G. (Creator) & Flavell, W. (Creator), University of Manchester Figshare, 12 May 2023
DOI: 10.48420/19322831, https://figshare.manchester.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Dataset_Ben_F_Spencer_et_al_Characterization_of_buried_interfaces_using_Ga_K_Hard_X-ray_Photoelectron_Spectroscopy_HAXPES_/19322831
Dataset
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Dielectric response of wurtzite gallium nitride in the terahertz frequency range
Hibberd, M. (Creator), Frey, V. (Contributor), Spencer, B. (Contributor), Mitchell, P. (Contributor), Dawson, P. (Contributor), Kappers, M. J. (Contributor), Oliver, R. A. (Contributor), Humphreys, C. J. (Contributor) & Graham, D. (Creator), University of Manchester, 21 Aug 2016
DOI: 10.15127/1.303144, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:303144&datastreamId=Figure_1_Data.CSV and 2 more links, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:303144&datastreamId=Figure_2_Data.CSV, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:303144&datastreamId=Figure_3_Data.CSV (show fewer)
Dataset
Press/Media
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HAXPES Result of the month for Scienta Omicron
1/11/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs and social media
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HAXPES Facility at the Henry Royce Institute reaches new milestone
11/01/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs and social media
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Royce opens £13m Advanced Materials Characterisation Facilities to Industry and Academia
17/05/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs and social media
Thesis
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Pump-probe Spectroscopy of Photovoltaic Materials
Spencer, B. (Author), 7 Jul 2011Student thesis: Phd
File
Equipment
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Bruker NanoIR3s
Nikiel, M. (Technical Specialist), Spencer, B. (Senior Technical Specialist) & Vijayaraghavan, A. (Academic lead)
FSE ResearchFacility/equipment: Equipment
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Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES)
Spencer, B. (Senior Technical Specialist) & Flavell, W. (Academic lead)
Faculty of Science and EngineeringFacility/equipment: Facility
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Infrared Nanospectroscopy (NanoIR)
Nikiel, M. (Technical Specialist), Spencer, B. (Senior Technical Specialist), Lyon, S. (Academic lead), Morsch, S. (Academic lead) & Vijayaraghavan, A. (Academic lead)
Materials EngineeringFacility/equipment: Facility
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NanoIR2
Spencer, B. (Core Facility Lead) & Nikiel, M. (Technical Specialist)
FSE ResearchFacility/equipment: Equipment