Chemical-state imaging of Li using scanning Auger electron microscopy

The demand for measurement tools to detect Li with high spatial resolution and precise chemical sensitivity is increasing with the spread of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for use in a wide range of applications. In this work, scanning Auger electron microscopy (SAM) is used to image chemical states of a partially oxidized Li surface on the basis of the Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) data obtained during an oxidation process of a metal Li. We show that distribution of metallic and oxidized states of Li is clearly imaged by mapping the intensity of the corresponding AES and EELS peaks. Furthermore, a tiny difference in the extent of oxidation can be distinguished by comparing the elemental map of an AES peak with that of an EELS peak owing to the different behaviors of those signals to the chemical states of Li.