Thin film analysis in the nanometer scale

A survey is presented on the present state of the art in analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM). An essential advantage of this method is the simultaneous use of imaging, analytical and microdiffraction techniques with a lateral resolution in the 1.5 nm range. Two different analytical techniques are frequently used as ATEM attachments, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS) and electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS). Microscopic images with nanometer resolution may be also produced by energy selected imaging (ESI) with characteristic energy loss electrons. Advantages and limitations of all these methods will be discussed using actual material problems in the field of thin film research.