X-ray spectroscopy in the electron microscope

In electron-sample interactions, x-rays can be formed during inelastic scattering of electrons. The following principles describe the generation and character of the x-rays. 

Continuum Deceleration of beam electrons (e.g. those which do not participate in removing sample electrons) leads to the production of a continuous range of x-rays. They contribute to the background of a spectrum and are termed Bremmsstrahlung x-rays. 

Chemical composition analysis complementing the microstructural information obtained from EM is known as analytical EM (AEM). Important compositional variations or non-stoichiometry in a material which is seemingly phase pure or stoichiometric by the criterion of bulk diffraction techniques and compositions of surface layers can be revealed using AEM. For quantitative microanalysis a ratio method for thin crystals (Cliff and Lorimer 1975) is used, given by the equation  

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