A wedge-mounting technique for nanoscale electron backscatter diffraction

Abstract

The practical spatial resolution of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is around 100 nm, which limits the length scales from which phase and orientation relationship characterization can be accomplished. This precludes collection of statistically relevant data on the crystallography of interfaces within nanomaterials where such information is essential for understanding the unique properties of these materials. In this work, we present a wedge-mounting technique that enables EBSD data to be collected for sub-100 nm thick layers of Cu-Nb bimetallic multilayers fabricated via accumulative roll bonding. We present statistics on layer thickness distributions, grain morphology, orientation distributions, twin volume fraction, and interface character for material with an averaged layer thickness of 86 and 56 nm.