Position-dependent texture analysis of melt-textured YBCO by means of electron backscatter diffraction

Abstract

The texture and phase distribution of melt-textured YBa 2Cu 3O x (YBCO) was studied by means of automated electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis as a function of the position in the bulk pellet of 4 cm diameter. A total of five samples was cut from the pellet; four samples from the surface of the bulk with different distances to the seed crystal, and one cut in vertical direction in the middle of the pellet. The melt-textured YBCO samples require a two-phase analysis to be performed, so a high surface quality is necessary to enable an automated EBSD scan. Good quality Kikuchi patterns are obtained from both the 1 2 3 and 2 1 1 phases. We found an inhomogeneous distribution of the 2 1 1 particles. Whereas the samples cut from the surface contain a large amount of 2 1 1 particles, in the samples of the vertical direction only traces of 2 1 1 particles are found. Furthermore, we measured the misorientation angle distribution of all samples. The data are presented in form of phase mappings, misorientation distribution functions and pole figures.