Electron energy-loss spectroscopy in the TEM

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is an analytical technique that measures the change in kinetic energy of electrons after they have interacted with a specimen. When carried out in a modern transmission electron microscope, EELS is capable of giving structural and chemical information about a solid, with a spatial resolution down to the atomic level in favourable cases. The energy resolution is typically 1 eV but can approach 0.1 eV if an electron-beam monochromator is used. This review provides an overview of EELS instrumentation and of the physics involved in the scattering of kilovolt electrons in solids. Features of the energy-loss spectrum are discussed, including plasmon peaks, inner-shell…