Phase Identification in a Scanning Electron Microscope Using Backscattered Electron Kikuchi Patterns

Backscattered electron Kikuchi patterns (BEKP) suitable for crystallographic phase analysis can be collected in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a newly developed charge coupled device (CCD) based detector. Crystallographic phase identification using BEKP in the SEM is unique in that it permits high magnification images and BEKPs to be collected from a bulk specimen. The combination of scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, BEKP, and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry holds the promise of a powerful new tool for materials science.