Soft X‐ray emission electron microscopy: chemical state microscopy from interface and bulk

Abstract

a Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has long been a workhorse of materials science and provides information on morphology, structure and elemental composition. However, information as to the chemical state of the elements is only available for deep lying core levels of the heavy elements and not the light elements. Whilst considerable advances have been made in high-resolution wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), electron microscopy in the soft X-ray region of ≈50-1500 eV is lacking. We present first results for a combined instrument of a soft X-ray emission (SXE) spectrometer together with a spatially resolving (<100 nm) electron gun.

X-ray Emission Spectroscopy of Nitrogen-Rich Compounds

“…In addition, the high-energy feature appearing at ∼397.5 eV has, with respect to the molecular orbital results, a larger intensity and is red-shifted by 1. 6…”

“…Features observed in XES and XRF have the added advantage that they can be measured in spectra produced when electron microscopes or X-ray tubes create the required core-holes. 6 Thus, details observed under conditions of selective excitation and high resolution can frequently supply insight in widespread applications, even those resulting in spectra of lower resolution and intensity. 7 Examples of these are the locations of Fermi edges, densities of states (DOS), chemical shifts, and spatial distributions of valence charge.…”