Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Spectrum Lines and Images

Abstract

Recent developments in instrumentation and computing power have greatly improved the potential for quantitative imaging and analysis. For example, products are now commercially available that allow the practical acquisition of spectrum images, where an EELS or EDS spectrum can be acquired from a sequence of positions on the specimen. However, such data files typically contain megabytes of information and may be difficult to manipulate and analyze conveniently or systematically. A number of techniques are being explored for the purpose of analyzing these large data sets. Multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) provides a method for analyzing the raw data set as a whole. The basis of the MSA method has been outlined by Trebbia and Bonnet.MSA has a number of strengths relative to other methods of analysis. First, it is broadly applicable to any series of spectra or images. Applications include characterization of grain boundary segregation (position-), of channeling-enhanced microanalysis (orientation-), or of beam damage (time-variation of spectra).