Digital Image Correlation for Elastic Strain Evaluation during Focused Ion Beam Ring-Core Milling

Abstract

This paper details the utilization of the focused ion beam digital image correlation (FIB-DIC) technique for measuring in-plane displacements and the employment of the height digital image correlation (hDIC) technique as a two-step DIC method for determining displacements without an out-of-plane component within the region of interest. Consideration is given to the microscopy data’s measurement scale and resolution to confirm the capability of both techniques to conduct micro-scale correlations with nano-scale sensitivity, making them suitable for investigating the residual elastic strains formed due to processing. The sequential correlation procedure of the FIB-DIC technique has been optimized to balance accuracy and performance for correlating sequential scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Conversely, the hDIC technique prioritizes the accurate correlation of SEM images directly with the reference state without a sequential procedure, offering optimal computational performance through advanced parallel computing tools, particularly suited for correlating profilometry data related to large-scale displacements. In this study, the algorithm of the hDIC technique is applied as a two-step DIC to evaluate the elastic strain relaxation on the surface of a ring core drilled using a focused ion beam. Both techniques are utilized to correlate the same SEM images collected during the monitoring of the ring drilling process. A comparison of the correlation results of both techniques is undertaken to quantify the near-surface residual elastic strains, with an analysis conducted to discern the accuracy of the hDIC algorithm. Furthermore, the distinctions between the two techniques are delineated and discussed.