The performance of a Li-ion cell strongly depends on the solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) on electrodes. The depth distribution of composition in SEI is normally determined by means of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) via Ar ion sputtering. Recently, a new kind of ion gun using C60 ions as sputtering source was introduced. In this report, a comparison between the effects of these two kinds of ion guns on the quantification of Li(Ni,Co,Mn)O-2 electrodes was made. It was found that the C60 ion gun is more suitable for analyzing the composition and chemical state of Li(Ni,Co,Mn)O-2 electrode since that it causes lower chemical damage in the superficial layer. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.