On the accuracy of grain boundary character determination by pseudo-3D EBSD

Abstract

Pseudo-3D orientation microscopy based on electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is a simple way to characterize all the 5 rotational parameters of grain boundaries. It is based on the observation of grain boundaries across a sharp edge of a sample using EBSD to determine the crystal orientation and orientation contrast from backscattered electrons to observe the grain boundary traces on the surface. In this paper we discuss the possible errors and the accuracy of these kind of measurements. It is found that the boundary misorientation can be measured better than 0.5°, while the boundary plane can be determined to better than 1°. A coherent twin grain boundary with well-known crystallographic parameters in an austenitic stainless steel with fcc crystal structure was taken as reference.