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The Backscatter Electron Signal as an Additional Tool for Phase Segmentation in Electron Backscatter Diffraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2013

E.J. Payton  and
G. Nolze
E.J. Payton*
Affiliation:
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, 12205 Berlin, Germany
G. Nolze
Affiliation:
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, 12205 Berlin, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: eric.payton@bam.de
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Abstract

The advent of simultaneous energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) data collection has vastly improved the phase separation capabilities for electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping. A major problem remains, however, in distinguishing between multiple cubic phases in a specimen, especially when the compositions of the phases are similar or their particle sizes are small, because the EDS interaction volume is much larger than that of EBSD and the EDS spectra collected during spatial mapping are generally noisy due to time limitations and the need to minimize sample drift. The backscatter electron (BSE) signal is very sensitive to the local composition due to its atomic number (Z) dependence. BSE imaging is investigated as a complimentary tool to EDS to assist phase segmentation and identification in EBSD through examination of specimens of meteorite, Cu dross, and steel oxidation layers. The results demonstrate that the simultaneous acquisition of EBSD patterns, EDS spectra, and the BSE signal can provide new potential for advancing multiphase material characterization in the scanning electron microscope.

Keywords

electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)scanning electron microscope (SEM)multiphase microstructurephase identificationsegmentationbackscatter electron imaging (BSE)meteoriteMonte Carlo simulation
Type
EBSD Special Section
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 929 - 941
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2013 

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