Examination of structural properties of interfaces by electron diffraction

When looking for a continuum description of interfaces, their characterization by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy poses a geometric problem. On the one hand there is the need for very high (atomic) resolution in the direction normal to the interface, but on the other hand a representative investigation of the interface calls for a much greater lengths scale parallel to its plane. In this paper I will summarize recent theoretical and experimental advances in using electron diffraction experiments with a partially coherent beam to study intergranular glassy films. Recent work on solving the phase problem for this particular geometry and the possibility of using diffraction experiments to study segregation at interfaces will be reviewed and extended by a discussion of the influence of dynamic scattering and partially coherent illumination on the experiments.