Characterization of ultra-fine grained and nanocrystalline materials using Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction

Gwénaëlle Proust*, Patrick Trimby, Sandra Piazolo, Delphine Retraint

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    12 Citations (Scopus)
    19 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    One of the challenges in microstructure analysis nowadays resides in the reliable and accurate characterization of ultra-fine grained (UFG) and nanocrystalline materials. The traditional techniques associated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), do not possess the required spatial resolution due to the large interaction volume between the electrons from the beam and the atoms of the material. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has the required spatial resolution. However, due to a lack of automation in the analysis system, the rate of data acquisition is slow which limits the area of the specimen that can be characterized. This paper presents a new characterization technique, Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD), which enables the analysis of the microstructure of UFG and nanocrystalline materials using an SEM equipped with a standard EBSD system. The spatial resolution of this technique can reach 2 nm. This technique can be applied to a large range of materials that would be difficult to analyze using traditional EBSD. After presenting the experimental set up and describing the different steps necessary to realize a TKD analysis, examples of its use on metal alloys and minerals are shown to illustrate the resolution of the technique and its flexibility in term of material to be characterized.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article numbere55506
    Pages (from-to)1-11
    Number of pages11
    JournalJournal of Visualized Experiments
    Issue number122
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2017

    Bibliographical note

    Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

    Keywords

    • Engineering
    • Issue 122
    • Microstructure
    • Electron Microscopy
    • Nanocrystalline Materials
    • Ultra-Fine Grained Materials
    • Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction
    • Electron Backscatter Diffraction
    • Crystal Orientation

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