On the mechanisms of characteristic electron energy loss spectra of polymers

Abstract

A transmission electron beam spectrometer has been constructed with which the angular distributions of electron energy losses in thin films ( approximately 150 nm) of polyethylene, polystyrene and evaporated carbon ( approximately 50 nm) have been studied. The results indicate that the broad energy loss around 20 eV, which is common to the three materials studied, may be explained in terms of inelastic collisions of beam electrons with the bound electrons of the valence state and generation of plasma oscillations.