  We report a systematic treatment of the holographic generation of electron
Bessel beams, with a view to applications in electron microscopy. We describe
in detail the theory underlying hologram patterning, as well as the actual
electro-optical configuration used experimentally. We show that by optimizing
our nanofabrication recipe, electron Bessel beams can be generated with
efficiencies reaching $37 \pm 3\%$. We also demonstrate by tuning various
hologram parameters that electron Bessel beams can be produced with many
visible rings, making them ideal for interferometric applications, or in more
highly localized forms with fewer rings, more suitable for imaging. We describe
the settings required to tune beam localization in this way, and explore beam
and hologram configurations that allow the convergences and topological charges
of electron Bessel beams to be controlled. We also characterize the phase
structure of the Bessel beams generated with our technique, using a simulation
procedure that accounts for imperfections in the hologram manufacturing
process. Finally, we discuss a specific potential application of electron
Bessel beams in scanning transmission electron microscopy.
