RECENT ADVANCES IN THE APPLICATION OF ORIENTATION IMAGING

Since the mid-1980s, electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD, also kno wn as back-scatter Kikuchi diffraction, BKD) has become a well-known a nd often used technique for interrogating the local characteristics of microstructures. The more recent development of orientation imaging m icroscopy (OIM) has led to the practical application of EBSD in obtain ing statistically relevant information from bulk materials. Many new d evelopments in OIM technology have evolved recently. One of these is t he development of rapid and more reliable mapping of multi-phase alloy s. In addition, significant work has been performed on thin film struc tures including patterned films and integrated circuits for investigat ion of texture evolution, grain growth, and circuit reliability. An ad ditional example showing the application of OIM on rough surface speci mens, such as fracture surfaces, is discussed.