Edited by A Schwartz, M Kumar and B Adams. Kluwer/Plenum, New York, 2000.
ISBN 0-306- 46487-X
Reviewed by: Kushlan Nagodawithana, University Research Foundation, Columbia, MD, USA
Published in Microscopy & Analysis, May 2002
This book describes several aspects of the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique, which is a powerful crystallographic tool in electron microscopy. Most chapters are either explanatory or theoretical. Three are devoted to product descriptions from commercial vendors. The later chapters include detailed case studies, which demonstrate the various applications.
Chapter 1 presents a complete historical overview of the development of EBSD. Topics such as Kossel X-ray diffraction (XRD) are compared with Kikuchi patterns observed in electron diffraction (ED). Analytical indexing techniques like the Hough transform were borrowed from use in XRD for ED in scanning electron microscopy. The next three chapters explain elementary crystallography concepts similar in nature to what can be found in Elements of X-ray Diffraction by Cullity. Some of the subjects include inverse pole figures, stereographic projections, and texture. More advanced topics such as orientation distribution functions, and Rodrigues-Frank representations are presented as means of characterizing misorientation in EBSD patterns.
Chapters 5-9 describe the details of EBSD detection and pattern indexing. The orientation of a pattern can be determined by applying the Hough transform to at least two known bands. Phase identification, accuracy, and the error limitations are also covered but only in a general sense. The next article is in the form of a series of questions that arise for groups who are considering purchasing an EBSD system.
Noran Instruments, Oxford Instruments, and TEXSEM Laboratories summarize their products in three chapters. Combining EBSD with X-ray microanalysis has been developed to image grain maps and spatially show the chemistry on a micron length scale. By defining tolerances with the software for the grain boundaries, information about local deformation in metals and alloys can be determined. Chapters 15 and 16 are theory intensive, and will appeal to researchers involved in elasticity and plasticity modeling.
The layout for the next two chapters is beautiful. Each page is filled with colorful illustrations of grain maps, pole figures and graphs. Examples of deformed microstructures are covered, and case studies of aluminum, tantalum, and zirconium are described. The figures are exceptional and 'worth a thousand words'. Three chapters focus on measuring strains with EBSD. The misorientation densities serve as a parameter to quantify strains. Numerous examples demonstrate the capability of EBSD to characterize plastic strains. Recrystallization and annealing effects are described in the next chapters. A superplastic aluminum alloy and faceted materials such as fracture surfaces were some case studies.
The final two chapters discuss the possibility of extending EBSD techniques from metals and alloys to ceramic materials. The effects of conductive coatings are shown. Thin film oxide ceramics have an advantage over bulk single crystals in producing EBSD patterns. Cathodoluminescence is a problem in EBSD as the ceramic becomes thicker. Another issue is the fact that many ceramic materials are not cubic, and EBSD can only identify 27 of the 32-point groups. Indexing becomes much more complicated. High temperature superconductors are ideal candidates for studying structure-property relationships using EBSD. The critical current density is very sensitive to the misorientation angles of the grain boundaries.
In summary, both dedicated researchers in the field and EBSD users will benefit from this book. The topics cover a broad range of experimental and theoretical discussions pertaining to EBSD. The case studies are explained well and the introductory material is concise.