Quantitative analysis of partially recrystallised microstructures from BSE-SEM imaging

Abstract

A method is proposed for the determination of microstructural information, such as grain size and recrystallised fraction, directly from the BSE images. The approach exploits the channelling contrast present in the BSE images to extract maps analogous to grain reference orientation deviation (GROD) and kernel average misorientation (KAM) without the need for orientation information. These maps are then processed in order to determine the recrystallised fraction in an efficient manner. The BSE image series are acquired using the eCHORD acquisition setup: the sample is first tilted and a series of 30 images are acquired as the sample rotates. Compared to results obtained from orientation data, this method significantly reduces the acquisition and data processing time.