Dynamical inelastic scattering in high-energy electron diffraction and imaging: A new theoretical approach

A generalized multislice theory is proposed from quantum mechanics to approach the multiple elastic and multiple inelastic scattering of high-energy electrons in a solid. The nonperiodic structure of crystals can be introduced in the calculations for the scattering geometries of transmission electron microscopy and reflection electron microscopy. Detailed applications of this generalized theory will be given for calculating (a) the energy-filtered-plasmon energy-loss diffraction patterns and images, (b) the energy-filtered diffraction patterns from atomic inner-shell losses, and (c) the contribution of thermal diffuse scattering to the high-angle annular-dark-field (ADF) scanning transmission-electron-microscopy (STEM) lattice images. An "incoherent" imaging theory is presented for simulating the ADF STEM images and the detailed calculations are addressed for Ge/Si interfaces