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Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) based technique that gives crystallographic information about the microstructure of a sample. In EBSD, a stationary electron beam interacts with a tilted crystalline sample and the diffracted electrons form a pattern that can be detected with a fluorescent screen. The diffraction pattern is characteristic of the crystal structure and orientation in the sample region where it was generated. Hence the diffraction pattern can be used to determine the crystal orientation, discriminate between crystallographically different phases, characterise grain boundaries, and provide information about the local crystalline perfection.
EBSD has become a well-established accessory for the SEM, which is used to provide crystallographic information routinely. As a result, EBSD is now being applied in numerous different application areas to assist in materials characterisation, as shown by the table below.
The AZtec EBSD system combines the speed and sensitivity of the world's fastest and most sensitive EBSD detector, Symmetry S2, with the superior analytical performance of the AZtecHKL acquisition software and the AZtecCrystal to create a powerful and versatile tool for Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) analysis.
Industries | Materials | Typical EBSD Measurements |
| Metals research and processing | Metals, Alloys | Grain size |
| Aerospace | Intermetallics | Grain boundary characterisation |
| Automotive | Inclusions / precipitates / 2nd phases | Global texture |
| Nuclear | Ceramics | Local texture |
| Microelectronics | Thin Films | CSL boundary characterisation |
| Earth Science | Solar Cells | Recrystallised / deformed fractions |
| Academia | Geological | Substructure analysis |
| Semiconductors | Phase identification | |
| Superconductors | Phase fractions / distributions | |
| Ice | Phase transformation | |
| Metal / ceramic composites | Fracture analysis | |
| Bone, teeth | Orientation & misorientation relationships between grains / phases |
Currently using EBSD and want to get the most out of your system? We offer multiple training courses all throughout the year.
EBSD Explained is a 24 page tutorial that not only gives newcomers a solid foundation in the underlining science of the subject, but also shows how the theory is applied in practice to get reliable and accurate EBSD results.
Symmetry, the world's first EBSD detector based on CMOS sensor technology, is set to revolutionise EBSD analysis.
This 16 page brochure illustrates why AZtec is the leading EBSD analysis platform on the market. Covers both hardware and software.
Discover the market leading range of EBSD detectors based on CMOS technology: a world first in innovative technology.
CMOS-based EBSD detectors enable faster and more sensitive analyses of samples. Sensitivity is related to the full-system efficiency, or Detective Quantum Efficiency (DQE).
CMOS-based EBSD detectors enable faster and more sensitive analyses of samples.
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