Electron energy loss spectroscopy and its application in material science

The physical processes underlying the inelastic scattering of electrons on passing through a solid as well as on travelling outside a solid in the vicinity of a surface are briefly reviewed. Image energy filtering in a Transmission Electron Microscope (EFTEM) for elemental mapping and High Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (HREELS) for the characterization of semiconductor surfaces and layered structures are discussed as representative applications of Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) in material science, with main emphasis on semiconductors.