Automated Crystal Orientation Measurement by Backscatter Kikuchi Diffraction

R. A. Schwarzer

Department of Physics and Physical Technologies, Technical University of Clausthal,

Leibnizstr. 4, D-38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany Fax: (+49)5323 72 2340

Email: schwarzer@tu-clausthal.de

Automated Crystal Orientation Measurement (ACOM) by Backscatter Kikuchi Diffraction (BKD) in the SEM, also named “Automated EBSD”, has become a standard tool in materials science during the last decade. The principal objectives of ACOM are a quantitative description of the microstructure on a grain-specific level by the determination of crystal orientations, misorientations, the character of grain boundaries, and derived entities. The grain orientations are commonly depicted in pseudo-colors on the scanning grid to form Crystal Orientation Maps (COM) of the microstructure. Stereological as well as orientation data, as sensitive indicators of the production process, are readily available from COM. ACOM thus enables a major progress in the quantitative characterization of microstructure.

The benefits are the correlation of crystal lattice orientations and phases (from ACOM) with the morphology (from the SEM micrograph) and element composition (from EDS analysis in an analytical SEM) on a submicron scale. Examples of application are given such as competitive columnar grain growth in damascene copper metallization lines, phase discrimination on metal samples, and local texture in hot extruded as well as reverse and cross-rolled magnesium based alloys.