A zero-loss image is made using only electrons in the ZLP; that is, they have not undergone any inelastic scattering. When you exclude the inelastically scattered electrons, you can improve an image's contrast and resolution.

1. Access to this capability depends on the mode you use.

   1. SingleMap mode – Press the Select ZLP button to open the Configure Zero-Loss Image dialog

   2. MultiMap mode – Specify in the MultiMap Configuration dialog

2. Indicate parameters within the Acquire Zero-Loss Image dialog.

   1. Window Settings – Specify the energy loss (0 eV) and slit width for the filter (ideally, it should be wide enough just to cover the ZLP)

   2. Detector – Specify the detector settings you want to use

3. Click Capture.

An unfiltered image contains both elastic and inelastically scattered electrons and is acquired with no energy-selecting slit inserted. When you obtain an unfiltered image, it is useful as an accompaniment with zero-loss imaging.

1. To acquire an unfiltered image, only specify the camera parameters.

2. Access to the Configure Unfiltered Image dialog will vary based on your chosen mode.

   1. SingleMap mode – Press the Select Unfiltered button

   2. MultiMap mode – Specify in the MultiMap Configuration dialog

3. Indicate parameters within the Acquire Unfiltered Image dialog.

   1. Window Settings – Specify the energy loss (0 eV) and slit width (None) for the filter

   2. Detector – Specify the detector settings you want to use

4. Click Capture.

You can relatively easily produce a relative thickness map using the EFTEM technique by acquiring an unfiltered and zero-loss image from the same region under identical conditions. Once acquired, you can compute the relative thickness map when you utilize the Poisson statistics of inelastic scattering:

\(t/\lambda = -ln (\frac{I_{o}}{I_{t}})\)

where

• \(I_{t}\) = Total intensity (unfiltered)

• \(I_o\) = Zero-loss intensity (elastic or ZLP filtered)

1. To acquire a thickness map, specify the slit width for the zero-loss acquisition and the camera parameters to be used.

   1. The same camera parameters will be applied for both the zero-loss and unfiltered image acquisition.

2. Access the Configure Thickness Map dialog will vary based on the mode you choose.

   1. SingleMap mode – Press the Select Thickness Map button

   2. MultiMap mode – Specify via the MultiMap Configuration dialog

      1. Window Settings – Set the energy loss (0 eV) and slit width for the filter

      2. Detector – Specify the detector settings you want to use

3. Click Capture.

The routine will

• Acquire an unfiltered image followed by a zero-loss (elastic) image

• Correct  any spatial drift between the images

• Compute and display the thickness map

The electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) acquisition routine allows you to acquire a single energy-filtered image from an arbitrary energy range of the electron energy loss spectrum. This is useful for imaging features that show an intensity increase at particular energy losses (e.g., plasmon imaging or contrast tuning).

1. To acquire an ESI, specify the EFTEM energy loss offset, the energy slit size, and camera parameters.

2. Access to the Configure ESI Image dialog will vary based on the mode you choose.

   1. SingleMap mode – Press the Select ESI button

   2. MultiMap mode – Specify via the MultiMap Configuration dialog

      1. Window Settings – Specify the energy loss and slit width for the filter; the Use Current button will copy the current spectrometer settings

      2. Detector – Specify the detector settings you want to use

3. Click Capture.
   

Two techniques are commonly used in EFTEM to map elemental distribution: 2-window ratio mapping and 3-window elemental mapping. The jump-ratio approach requires two energy-filtered images, one you position just before the ionization edge (pre-edge) and one just after the edge (post-edge). In the jump-ratio approach, the post-edge image is divided by the corresponding pre-edge image to produce a map that indicates the distribution of the element you select.

1. To acquire a jump-ratio map, specify:

   1. Element of interest

   2. Camera parameters

   3. Slit width and filter energies to be used for the pre- and post-edge acquisitions

2. Access the Configure Jump Ratio dialog will vary based on your chosen mode.

   3. SingleMap mode – Press the Select Jump-Ratio Map button

   4. MultiMap mode – Specify via the MultiMap Configuration dialog

   5. Indicate parameters within the Configure Jump Ratio dialog

      1. Window settings (eV)

         1. Setup – Allows you to recall pre-saved or default settings for a particular element

         2. Slit width – Specify the energy-selecting slit width you want to use for both the pre- and post-edge acquisitions

         3. Post-edge – Designate the energy loss setting that the filter will use to acquire the post-edge image

         4. Pre-edge – Indicate the energy loss setting that the filter will use to acquire the pre-edge image

         5. Edge – Specify the edge you want to use for ratio mapping

      2. Detector – Specify the detector settings you want to use

      3. Spectrum display – Generates and displays a simulated spectrum at the top of the dialog to give you visual feedback regarding the feature shape and the selected acquisition window positions

3. Click Capture.

   

The routine will

• Acquire the post-edge image followed by the post-edge image

• Correct for any spatial drift between the images

• Compute and display the ratio map

The 3-window technique for elemental mapping requires three energy-filtered images; two positioned before the ionization edge (pre-edge images), and one positioned just after the edge.

1. To acquire an elemental map, specify:

   1. Element of interest

   2. Camera parameters

   3. Slit width and filter energies to be used for the pre- and post-edge acquisitions

2. Access the Configure Elemental Map dialog will vary based on the mode you choose.

   1. SingleMap mode – Press the Select Elemental Map button

   2. MultiMap mode – Specify via the MultiMap Configuration dialog

3. Indicate parameters within the Configure Elemental Map dialog.

   1. Window Settings (eV)

      1. Edge – Specify the edge you want to use for ratio mapping

      2. Pre-edge 1 and 2 – Indicate the energy loss setting that the filter will use to acquire the pre-edge image

      3. Post-edge – Designate the energy loss setting that the filter will use to acquire the post-edge image

      4. Slit width – Specify the energy-selecting slit width you want to use for both the pre- and post-edge acquisitions

      5. Setup – Allows you to recall pre-saved or default settings for a particular element

   2. Detector – Specify the detector settings you want to use

   3. Spectrum display – Generates and displays a simulated spectrum at the top of the dialog to give you visual feedback regarding the feature shape and the selected acquisition window positions

4. Click Capture.

The routine will

• Acquire a post-edge image followed by the two pre-edge images

• Correct for any spatial drift between the images, if specified

• Compute and display the elemental map

The EFTEM MultiMap Acquisition software allows you to perform multiple EFTEM acquisitions (e.g., zero-loss, elemental maps) from the same region during a single experiment. This will enable you to collect any combination of maps and images, but researchers frequently use this software to obtain a series of elemental maps. One key advantage is that you can acquire the pre- and post-acquisition thickness map to help evaluate the effect of the beam on your sample.

1. Select MultiMap in the EFTEM palette under the EFTEM Map technique.

   1. Click on the Add button to open the Setup EFTEM Multi-Mapping dialog

2. Use these group boxes within the Setup EFTEM Multi-Mapping dialog to define your experimental parameters.

   

   1. Map List – Allows you to specify which features to acquire and in what order

   2. Detector – Defines the individual detector parameters for each acquisition in the MultiMap list

   3. Window settings (eV) – Configures the individual window settings for each acquisition in the MultiMap list

   4. Spectrum display – Generates and displays a simulated spectrum at the top of the dialog to give you visual feedback about the feature shape and the selected acquisition window positions (Display all edges will show potential overlap problems in the list of elements you have selected)

   5. Load/Save Setup List – Saves the EFTEM MultiMap list and all associated parameters as an analytical list profile for future use