INSTRUMENTATION FOR HIGH RESOLUTION ELECTRON LOSS SPECTROSCOPY FOR VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS OF ROUGH PRACTICAL SURFACES

ELECTRON LOSS SPECTROSCOPY FOR VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS IS AN ESTABLISHED TECHNIQUE BEST SUITED FOR ADSORBATES ON POLISHEDMETALLIC SURFACES. IONWERKS PROPOSES A DEPARTURE FROM THE STANDARD INSTRUMENTATION WHICH ALLOW VIBRATIONAL MEASUREMENTS ON PRACTICAL SURFACES SUCH AS ROUGH METALLIC OXIDES. OUR TECHNIQUE DERIVES INCREASED SENSITIVITY AND VIBRATIONAL RESOLUTION FROM USING LOW ENERGY ELECTRONS IN A WAY WHICH MAXIMIZES THE INTERACTION CROSS SECTION AND THE COLLECTION EFFICIENCY FOR LOSS ELECTRONS. ESTIMATION OF THESENSITIVITY INCREASE IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE CROSS SECTIONS AT LOW ENERGY ARE NOT WELL KNOWN, HOWEVER, AT LEASTAN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE IS EXPECTED FROM THE INCREASED COLLECTION EFFICIENCY. THE TECHNIQUE IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR TIME RESOLVED VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS ON PRACTICAL SURFACES WHICH CANNOT AT PRESENT BE DONE.