Mapping titanium and tin oxide phases using EELS: An application of independent component analysis

We study materials that present challenges for conventional elemental mapping techniques and can in some cases be treated successfully using independent component analysis (ICA). In this case the material in question is obtained from a TiO2–SiO2 solid solution that is spinodally decomposed into TiO2 rich–SnO2 rich multilayers. Conventional elemental mapping is difficult because the edges most easily mapped for these elements (Ti-L, Sn-M and O-K) all have onsets within the same 80 eV range.