Trends in Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Author(s):  
C. Colliex ◽  
P. Trebbia

The physical foundations for the use of electron energy loss spectroscopy towards analytical purposes, seem now rather well established and have been extensively discussed through recent publications. In this brief review we intend only to mention most recent developments in this field, which became available to our knowledge. We derive also some lines of discussion to define more clearly the limits of this analytical technique in materials science problems.The spectral information carried in both low ( 0<ΔE<100eV ) and high ( >100eV ) energy regions of the loss spectrum, is capable to provide quantitative results. Spectrometers have therefore been designed to work with all kinds of electron microscopes and to cover large energy ranges for the detection of inelastically scattered electrons (for instance the L-edge of molybdenum at 2500eV has been measured by van Zuylen with primary electrons of 80 kV). It is rather easy to fix a post-specimen magnetic optics on a STEM, but Crewe has recently underlined that great care should be devoted to optimize the collecting power and the energy resolution of the whole system.

Author(s):  
David C. Joy ◽  
Suichu Luo ◽  
John R. Dunlap ◽  
Dick Williams ◽  
Siqi Cao

In Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Biology and Medicine, it is very important to have accurate information about the stopping power of various media for electrons, that is the average energy loss per unit pathlength due to inelastic Coulomb collisions with atomic electrons of the specimen along their trajectories. Techniques such as photoemission spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy have been used in the measurements of electron-solid interaction. In this paper we present a comprehensive technique which combines experimental and theoretical work to determine the electron stopping power for various materials by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS ). As an example, we measured stopping power for Si, C, and their compound SiC. The method, results and discussion are described briefly as below.The stopping power calculation is based on the modified Bethe formula at low energy:where Neff and Ieff are the effective values of the mean ionization potential, and the number of electrons participating in the process respectively. Neff and Ieff can be obtained from the sum rule relations as we discussed before3 using the energy loss function Im(−1/ε).


Author(s):  
Nestor J. Zaluzec

The application of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to light element analysis is rapidly becoming an important aspect of the microcharacterization of solids in materials science, however relatively stringent requirements exist on the specimen thickness under which one can obtain EELS data due to the adverse effects of multiple inelastic scattering.1,2 This study was initiated to determine the limitations on quantitative analysis of EELS data due to specimen thickness.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Cueva ◽  
Robert Hovden ◽  
Julia A. Mundy ◽  
Huolin L. Xin ◽  
David A. Muller

AbstractThe high beam current and subangstrom resolution of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopes has enabled electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) mapping with atomic resolution. These spectral maps are often dose limited and spatially oversampled, leading to low counts/channel and are thus highly sensitive to errors in background estimation. However, by taking advantage of redundancy in the dataset map, one can improve background estimation and increase chemical sensitivity. We consider two such approaches—linear combination of power laws and local background averaging—that reduce background error and improve signal extraction. Principal component analysis (PCA) can also be used to analyze spectrum images, but the poor peak-to-background ratio in EELS can lead to serious artifacts if raw EELS data are PCA filtered. We identify common artifacts and discuss alternative approaches. These algorithms are implemented within the Cornell Spectrum Imager, an open source software package for spectroscopic analysis.


Author(s):  
P.A. Crozier ◽  
M. Gajdardziska-Josifovska ◽  
J.M. Cowley

The technique of reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy (REELS) can be used to perform elemental analysis of surfaces in an electron microscope. The information obtained from this technique can be combined with topographic information from reflection imaging and with crystallographic information from the RHEED pattern. We have applied these techniques to study the (100) surface of MgO subject to high temperature annealing. By utilizing small probes available in modern analytical electron microscopes we have been able to measure differences in the surface compositions of small topographic features and we show for the first time that the Ca distribution on the surface is not uniform.


1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 638-639
Author(s):  
D.C. Dufner ◽  
S. Danczyk ◽  
M. Wooldridge

Combustion synthesis has led to many advances in materials science, in part via the synthesis of powders consisting of particles of nanometer dimensions. Particle morphology is a key concern regarding the powders produced, but also of comparable importance is particle composition. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy-filtering imaging (EFI) can be used to interrogate the gas-phase combustion synthesis environment for elemental particle composition information. Once established, this diagnostic approach can be used to address control of particle composition and other issues associated with particle formation and growth in flames. The evolution of the particle morphology in a laboratory scale combustion synthesis facility can be examined by passing TEM grids directly through the combustion synthesis flame at various heights above the burner surface, as shown in Fig. la. For the current work, SiOx particle samples are obtained from a SilL/^/FL/Ar flame using a rapid probe insertion technique.


1983 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.A. Grunest ◽  
J.C. Barbour ◽  
L.S. Hung ◽  
J.W. Mayer ◽  
J.J. Ritsko

ABSTRACTIon beam modifications to thin film, polycrystalline Ni-Al alloys have been investigated using high resolution (0.1 eV FWHM) transmission electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The ion induced modification of Ni3 AI,NiAI, Ni2Al3, and NiAl3 as measured by EELS, are compared to concurrent electron microscope diffraction analyses. The EELS coresub level spectra corroborate the NiAI3 to amorphous phase transition observed by diffraction, while the EELS valence spectra provide a signature for the Ni2Al3 to NiAl phase transformation. These results reflect the changes in the electronic states caused by changes in the crystal structure. In addition, perturbations to the electronic states are measured even when no change appears in the diffraction pattern (irradiated NiAl). Thus, high resolution EELS is shown to be a sensitive analytical technique for studying ion irradiated materials.


Author(s):  
P. Trebbia ◽  
P. Ballongue ◽  
C. Colliex

An effective use of electron energy loss spectroscopy for chemical characterization of selected areas in the electron microscope can only be achieved with the development of quantitative measurements capabilities.The experimental assembly, which is sketched in Fig.l, has therefore been carried out. It comprises four main elements.The analytical transmission electron microscope is a conventional microscope fitted with a Castaing and Henry dispersive unit (magnetic prism and electrostatic mirror). Recent modifications include the improvement of the vacuum in the specimen chamber (below 10-6 torr) and the adaptation of a new electrostatic mirror.The detection system, similar to the one described by Hermann et al (1), is located in a separate chamber below the fluorescent screen which visualizes the energy loss spectrum. Variable apertures select the electrons, which have lost an energy AE within an energy window smaller than 1 eV, in front of a surface barrier solid state detector RTC BPY 52 100 S.Q. The saw tooth signal delivered by a charge sensitive preamplifier (decay time of 5.10-5 S) is amplified, shaped into a gaussian profile through an active filter and counted by a single channel analyser.


Author(s):  
R. F. Egerton

An important parameter governing the sensitivity and accuracy of elemental analysis by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) or by X-ray emission spectroscopy is the signal/noise ratio of the characteristic signal.


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