Importance of relativistic effect on inelastic scattering cross-sections for quantitative microanalysis

✍ Scribed by Hiroki Kurata; Petra Wahlbring; Seiji Isoda; Takashi Kobayashi

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 577 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0968-4328
• DOI: 10.1016/s0968-4328(97)00044-9

✦ Synopsis

For quantitative microanalysis of specimens using core-loss spectra, elemental maps by electron energy-loss spectroscopy or energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy, accurate values of partial cross-sections are required. Upon increasing the incident electron energy, the relativistic effect including retardation and magnetic interactions on inelastic scattering cross-sections can not be ignored. In the present work, we report the direct observation of the relativistic effect as it appears in the angular distribution of inner-shell electron excitation by using the energy-filtering diffraction technique performed with a high-voltage electron microscope (JEOL-ARM1000). The experimental result confirms a theoretical prediction proposed previously. The importance of the relativistic correction on partial cross-section is discussed in relation to quantitative microanalysis. '