Chemical composition of Cu/Ge layers deposited on a 1 mu m thick n-type GaAs epitaxial layer (doped with Te to a concentration of 5 x 10(18) cm(-3)) and its interface were examined ex situ by XPS combined with Ar+ sputtering. These measurements indicate a diffusion of Cu and Ge from the Cu/Ge layer towards GaAs and, also, an out-diffusion of Ga and As from the GaAs layer to the metallic films. The Auger parameter corrected Auger spectra and XPS spectra show only Cu and Ge metals in the in the Cu/Ge layer and in the interface. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.