Mapping titanium and tin oxide phases using EELS: An application of independent component analysis

We study materials that present challenges for conventional elemental mapping techniques and can in some cases be treated successfully using independent component analysis (ICA). In this case the material in question is obtained from a TiO 2–SiO 2 solid solution that is spinodally decomposed into TiO 2 rich–SnO 2 rich multilayers. Conventional elemental mapping is difficult because the edges most easily mapped for these elements (Ti-L, Sn-M and O-K) all have onsets within the same 80 eV range. ICA is used to separate entire spectral signals corresponding to particular material phases or molecular units rather than particular elements and is thus able to distinguish between TiO 2 and SnO 2. We show that quantification of oxide species can be performed by different methods that require extra assumptions, but nevertheless should be feasible in many cases. ► EELS quantification for elements with superposed edges is very difficult. ► ICA provides an alternative approach in some cases, and here for Ti and Sn oxides. ► Quantification is consistent with measured HAADF imaging intensities. ► The method is an extension of and variant on the more widely used PCA.