Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), is a microstructural-crystallographic technique used to examine the crystallographic orientation of many materials, which can be used to elucidate texture or preferred orientation of any crystalline or polycrystalline material.
How does it work?
A electron backscatter diffraction pattern is formed when many different planes diffract different electrons to form kikuchi bands which correspond to each of the lattice diffracting planes.
If the system geometry is well described, it is possible to relate the bands present in the EBSD to the underlying crystal phase and orientation of the material within the electron interaction volume. Each band can be indexed individually by the Miller indices of the diffracting plane which formed it.
In most materials, only three bands/planes which intercept are required to describe a unique solution to the crystal orientation (based upon their interplanar angles) and most commercial systems use look up tables with international crystal data bases to perform indexing.
Applications:
Index and identify the seven crystal systems; crystal orientation mapping; defect studies; phase identification; grain boundary and morphology studies; regional heterogeneity investigations; material discrimination; microstrain mapping.
Complementary Techniques:
XRD, TEM (Electron Diffraction).
Warwick capability:
EDAX EBSD.
Contact:
Claire Gerard: / 07385 145064