Microtexture studies of lead scandium tantalate ceramics

Crystallographic orientations of various samples of polycrystalline lead sc andium tantalate, PbzScTaO6, abbreviated PST, were investigated by the tech nique of backscatter Kikuchi diffraction pattern (BKDP) in the scanning ele ctron microscope (SEM). The samples were processed under different conditio ns. Several hundreds of crystal orientations in the bulk ceramics were exam ined by BKDPs and the results were plotted in microtexture pole- and invers e pole-figures for determination of the average and local preferred orienta tions. These results were compared with crystallographic information obtain ed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, local textures in certain se lected regions in the PST ceramics were also determined.