Quantitative Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy from Core Levels

Quantitative microanalysis on solids using electron energy loss requires the knowledge of partial cross sections in order to relate the measured intensities to the concentrations of the constituent elements. Partial cross sections caused by scattering from core levels are calculated using a model dielectric function. The dielectric function is derived by assuming that the core levels can be described by atomic wave functions and that the excited states are given by orthogonalized plane waves. It is usually assumed that the final state is described by atomic wave functions. The calculated dielectric function is required to equal the optical dielectric function for the case of zero momentum transfer. We find that the model dielectric function described above can be replaced by a much simpler one for most cases of interest, and partial cross sections will be calculated for a large number of elements and a variety of core levels.

Theory of the Cross Sections for Inelastic Scattering of Electrons by Core Level Excitations in Solids


David R. Penn


Charles W. Clark - NIST
Tunde Fulop - Chalmers University of Technology
Cedric J. Powell - NIST
S. Tanuma - Japan Energy ARC Co. Ltd.

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Online: May 1996
Last Updated: February 2008

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