Electron Backscatter Diffraction Image - Taken from National Institute of Standards and Technology Materials Reliability Division

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), also known as backscatter Kikuchi diffraction (BKD) is a microstructural-crystallographic technique used to elucidate the crystallographic texture or preferred orientation of any crystalline or polycrystalline materials. EBSD can be used to index and identify the seven crystal systems, and as such it is applied to crystal orientation mapping, defect studies, phase identification, grain boundary & morphology studies, regional heterogeneity investigations, material discrimination, and using complimentary techniques, physico-chemical identification. Traditionally these types of studies have been carried out using x-ray diffraction (XRD), neutron diffraction and/or electron diffraction. File links The following pages link to this file: Electron backscatter diffraction ... File links The following pages link to this file: Electron backscatter diffraction ... Crystallography (from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and graphein = write) is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in solids. ... Crystal (disambiguation) Insulin crystals A crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. ... In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... ... Morphology is the following: In linguistics, morphology is the study of the structure of word forms. ... X-ray crystallography is a technique in crystallography in which the pattern produced by the diffraction of x-rays through the closely spaced lattice of atoms in a crystal is recorded and then analyzed to reveal the nature of that lattice. ... In quantum physics, neutrons are particles that can occur as building blocks of atomic nuclei. ... Electron diffraction is a technique used to examine solids by firing a beam of electrons at a sample and observing their deflection. ...

Experimentally EBSD is conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a backscatter diffraction camera. The diffraction camera is essentially a focal plane CCD coupled with a phosphor screen, which is inserted into the specimen chamber of the SEM at an angle greater than or equal to 90° to the pole piece. A flat/polished crystalline specimen is placed into the normal position in the specimen chamber, but is highly tilted (~70° from horizontal) towards the diffraction camera. When the electrons impinge on the specimen they interact with the atomic lattice planes of the crystalline structures, many of these interactions satisfy Bragg conditions and undergo backscatter diffraction. Due to the angle of the specimen these diffracted electrons are directed towards and impinge upon the phosphor screen of the diffraction camera causing it to fluoresce, this fluorescent light is then detected by the CCD. The diffracted electrons form and image termed a diffraction pattern on the diffraction camera. This pattern is unique to the microstructural-crystallographic properties of the material. And using computer aided interpretation can reveal a multitude of information. Each diffraction pattern will show several intersecting lines termed Kikuchi bands, these correspond to each of the lattice diffracting planes and can be indexed individually by the Miller indices of the diffracting plane which formed it. Low temperature SEM magnification series for a snow crystal. ... A specially developed CCD used for ultraviolet imaging in a wire bonded package. ... A phosphor is a substance that can exhibit the phenomenon of fluorescence (glowing during absorption of radiation of another kind) or phosphorescence (sustained glowing without further stimulus). ... The general meaning of atomic is irreducible. That is, reduced to the smallest possible part. ... A cherry lattice pastry A mathematical lattice is a type of partially ordered set. ... Diffraction is the apparent bending and spreading of waves when they meet an obstruction. ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ... In geometry, a Miller index is used to describe sets of planes in a crystal. ...

EBSD when used together with other in-SEM techniques such as Cathodoluminescence (CL), Wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS) and/or Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) can provide a deeper insight into the specimens properties. For example, the minerals calcite (limestone) and aragonite (shell) have the same chemical composition - calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) therefore EDS/WDS cannot tell them apart, but they have different microcrystalline structures so EBSD can differentiate between them. Cathodoluminescence is an optical and electrical television. ... The Wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is a method used to determine the energy spectrum of a X-ray radiation. ... The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX or EDS) is a method used to determine the energy spectrum of X-ray radiation. ... Calcite from Brushy Creek Mine, Missouri, USA. The mineral calcite is a calcium carbonate corresponding to the formula CaCO3 and is one of the most widely distributed minerals on the Earths surface. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Aragonite Aragonite is a polymorph of the mineral calcite, both having the chemical composition CaCO3. ... The hard, rigid outer calcium cumbonate covering of certain animals is called a shell. ... Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound, with chemical formula CaCO3. ...

See Also

• Crystallography
• Electron crystallography
• Diffraction

Crystallography (from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and graphein = write) is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in solids. ... Electron crystallography is a method to determine protein structures using electron diffraction. ... Diffraction is the apparent bending and spreading of waves when they meet an obstruction. ...

External links

• All about EBSD
• EBSD for Beginners
• EBSD Further Reading
• National Institute of Standards and Technology - Materials Reliability Division