Zero loss peak deconvolution for bandgap EEL spectra.

Abstract

This paper shows how bandgap EEL spectra are commonly processed either by deconvolution or subtraction methods in an attempt to remove effects arising from the finite width and long tail of the zero loss peak. This paper will compare the two main methods, and show that the deconvolution method is significantly more reliable and free of user-interpretation or artefacts. We first consider how the zero loss peak is produced and what effects experimental conditions have upon it, and then show that only by the deconvolution method can accurate bandgap energies and bandgap densities of states be determined.