EBSD Sample Preparation: Techniques, Tips, and Tricks

Abstract

Automated analysis of Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) patterns for orientation imaging and phase identification in materials and earth sciences has become a widely accepted microstructural analysis tool. To briefly review, EBSD is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) based technique where the sample is tilted approximately 70 degrees and the electron beam is positioned in an analytical spot-mode within a selected grain. An EBSD pattern is formed due to the diffraction of the electron beam by select crystallographic planes within the material. The EBSD pattern is representative of both the phase and crystallographic orientation of the selected area. The pattern is imaged by a phosphor screen and recorded with a digital CCD camera and then analyzed.