ABSTRACT
Using EELS we show that the study of the electronic structure of metals can be seriously impaired by the presence of a surface oxide layer. In this paper, we report our effort at suppressing and/or replacing the ‘native’ surface layer by the deposition of a thin passivation layer. This is carried out either as an integral part of thin film growth or after the electron beam transparent sample has been prepared. The latter process is carried out inside a UHV sputtering and coating system and is particularly suitable for cross-sectional samples. The effectiveness of the passivation layer approach is verified using EELS studies of ultrathin Fe films.
