Crystallographic Textures of Materials

Backscatter Kikuchi diffraction patterns (or EBSD patterns) contain much more information about the diffracting crystal than just the crystal orientation. In particular, they carry information about the crystal metrik and about the density of defects at the illuminated area. The crystal metrik (i.e. the lattice parameters) can be determined from an exact analysis of the band position. Information on the defect density is obtained from an analysis of the band profile. [more]
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is efficiently used for solar energy conversion in the form of thin film solar cells. Its particularly well-fitting optoelectronic properties (almost ideal bandgap, high absorption coefficient and high thermal stability) are still driving the interests of both scientific communities and industrial companies in the highly competitive world of photovoltaic materials. An extended knowledge of the layer microstructure formation is expected to lead to process-optimization to continue to push back the current world record of 21 % efficiency. [more]
We present our recent progress in 3D high resolution characterization of crystalline microstructures. Our approach uses automated serial sectioning by means of a focused ion beam (FIB) and the sequential characterization of each section in terms of orientation microscopy based on electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in a combined FIB-scanning electron microscope (SEM). [more]
The coupling of electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) with EBSD provides an efficient and fast approach to perform ECCI of crystal defects, such as dislocations, cells, and stacking faults, under controlled diffraction conditions with enhanced contrast. From a technical point of view, the ECCI technique complements two of the main electron microscopy techniques, namely, EBSD and TEM. In this review, we provide several application examples of the EBSD-based ECCI approach on microstructure characterization, namely, characterization of single dislocations, measurement of dislocation densities and characterization of dislocation substructures in deformed bulk materials. [more]
Go to Editor View