Nanoscale XPEEM Spectromicroscopy

This chapter focuses on the ability of X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM) to provide local spectroscopic information and therefore of probing the electronic structure of materials down to the nm scale. It provides a brief description of the working principles of XPEEM and illustrates with examples from the literature the gamut of possibilities for studying materials systems in areas ranging from physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science, with an emphasis on local, nanoscale spectromicroscopy. XPEEM relies on the imaging of electrons emitted from the sample upon excitation with X-rays. Composite structures correspond to bulk materials made of two or more components that interact in such a way as to yield properties that differ from the isolated parts. The high lateral spatial resolution of XPEEM is particularly well suited for the investigation of nanodevices or their building blocks, which might be composed of semiconducting, metallic, or oxide materials.