Progressive steps in the development of electron backscatter diffraction and orientation imaging microscopy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Crystallography
• Analytical Techniques

Background:

• Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) technology has become more accessible to materials researchers over the last ten years.
• Significant advancements in camera technology and software have occurred during this period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review key developments in EBSD camera technology and software.
• To assess the impact of these advancements on materials characterization.
• To highlight current capabilities and limitations of EBSD.

Main Methods:

• Review of slow-scan charge-coupled device (CCD) camera applications in EBSD.
• Analysis of spatial resolution limits.
• Development and application of improved lattice spacing measurement procedures.
• Investigation of phase identification in complex materials.
• Simultaneous collection and off-line analysis of chemical and EBSD data.

Main Results:

• Current spatial resolution of EBSD is below 10 nm.
• Improved lattice spacing measurements show relative errors of ±3% for silicon and nickel.
• Recrystallized fraction in aluminum can be confidently extracted, but substructure mapping in deformed regions is challenging.
• EBSD phase identification is improved for complex cases, especially when combined with chemical data and off-line analysis.

Conclusions:

• Recent advancements in EBSD technology have enhanced its capabilities for materials analysis.
• The technique offers high spatial resolution and accurate lattice spacing measurements.
• Combined chemical and EBSD data analysis improves phase identification in complex materials.