Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) instruments are capable of providing direct information regarding the crystalline structure, fabric analysis on polycrystalline aggregates, as well as determination on the grain from which the sample originated. By placing a sample into a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a primary beam of accelerated electrons is diffracted by the atomic layers within the crystalline material of interest. These electrons are then analyzed by a camera-equipped detector, which displays the electron backscatter patterns (EBSPs) that provide information regarding the geometry of the lattice planes of the crystal. The data provided by EBSD allows for the fast and reliable identification and determination for all phases of crystal symmetries.