Advances in strain measurement using electron-backscatter diffraction in the Scanning Electron Microscope
The technique of electron back scatter diffraction, EBSD, is well established for measurement of crystal orientation in bulk polycrystalline samples. Analytical procedures for determining crystal phase from them have also been established. In addition several papers have been published describing the application of the method for strain measurement. In these latter studies the EBSPs were recorded on photographic film and all measurements made after digitising the patterns and transferring the data to a SEMPER image processing package. Strain measurement was based on determination of the diffuseness of the diffraction pattern. In the present studies analysis was carried out on digitised television images of the diffraction patterns imaged live on a phosphor screen.EBSPs were obtained in a JEOL 6400 SEM fitted with a tungsten filament. The patterns were imaged on a P20/P40 phosphor directly coupled through a coherent fibre optic bundle to a SIT low light level television camera with 700 line resolution.