Material surface characterization using low-energy electron microscopy and photoemission electron microscopy

We describe a state-of-the-art surface imaging and material characterization facility recently established for advanced structural, morphological, and electronic structure characterization of material surfaces in real time with nanometre spatial resolutions. Here, we discuss the basic principles of operation as well as the technical details of the low-energy electron microscopy cum photoemission electron microscopy (LEEM–PEEM) facility, which is similar to the transmission electron microscopes. We also present some of our experimental results on various material systems along with the demonstration of the high spatial resolution imaging capabilities as well as the availability of various contrast mechanisms that can be well utilized for nanomaterials research. (author)