Determination of sample surface topography using electron back-scatter diffraction patterns

Abstract

The background of an electron backscattered diffraction pattern contains quantitative surface topography data. We propose a new approach to extract this topography from the location of the maximum background intensity in each diffraction pattern. Using specular reflection as a zero-th order approximation, we employ Monte Carlo simulations to determine corrections to the scattering angles, which then allow us to accurately determine the local surface normal. We derive the theoretical model and illustrate the approach experimentally using a β-Sn sphere, for which we determine the local surface normal orientation from the background intensity shifts in electron backscatter diffraction patterns.