2021 Volume 56 Issue 2 Pages 73-80
The development of a new generation of monochromators improves the energy resolution of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and makes it possible to analyze local electronic states with high spatial resolution by combining it with a spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). In order to maximize the features of the STEM-EELS method, it is essential to measure high-quality spectra. In this paper, we first introduce a new method to dramatically improve the signal-to-noise ratio of spectra by accurately removing the dark noise of the spectrum detector (CCD). Then three recent works on the analysis of energy-loss near-edge fine structures are described; the atomic resolution hole mapping of the high-Tc superconductor, the extraction of local structure of the oxygen octahedron in the transition metal oxide and the analysis of carbon K-edge spectra of organic thin films. Finally, the study of surface plasmon polaritons of a branched silver nanorode is also shown. All the spectra shown here were measured by the monochromated STEM-EELS.
