The relative importance of multiple inelastic scattering in the quantification of EELS

A comparison is given of energy loss results obtained for the L and K edges of aluminium as a function of specimen thickness, crystallographic orientation and collection angle. It is demonstrated that as the thickness is increased post-loss elastic scattering is generally important in reducing the fraction of electrons collected. The implications for the quantification of EELS data are discussed while a comparison of the Fe/C ratio in cementite demonstrates the improved consistency which can be obtained when comparing K and L losses at lower energy separation than are the losses for aluminium.