Ultrafast ForeScatter Electron (FSE) and BackScatter Electron (BSE) Imaging of EBSD Samples
The best image quality only with ARGUS system
ARGUS imaging system combines an ingenious idea [A.P. Day et all] with ultra-high quality silicon diodes and Bruker’s unrivalled signal processing technology to deliver FSE and BSE images with unmatched quality and detail. Here are the major features making ARGUS the best solution available today:
- FSE - Brilliant false color orientation contrast imaging
- BSE - High quality “average z-number”, also known as “phase contrast” imaging
- Imaging at speeds of up to 125,000 pixels/second
- Fast and fully automatic signal optimization in ESPRIT software
- Signal amplification electronics are fully integrated in the EBSD detector, i.e. no external boxes
- User replaceable diodes
ARGUS imaging system
Phase contrast in a cross-section BSE image of the thermal barrier coating on a turbine blade
Orientation contrast in Additively Manufactured (AM) stainless steel
The ARGUS specs described above combine with various ESPRIT software features to deliver powerful benefits for various types of applications. Here are just a few examples:
- Time Resolved visualization of samples during in-situ experiments, e.g. in-situ tensile and compression testing – ESPRIT TRM feature
- Accurate drift correction during EBSD mapping – ESPRIT Drift Correction feature
- Alternative to very fast EBSD mapping – Rapid EBSD feature
- Visualization of very low orientation changes and magnetic domains in crystals
Application Examples
For more details on the benefits provided by ARGUS imaging system and application examples check out our image gallery below or related videos on our Bruker Nano Analytics YouTube channel.
Fig. 1: ARGUS BSE image of the thermal barrier coating on a turbine blade showing multiple phases with varying elemental composition, i.e. different average z-numbers.
Fig. 2: ARGUS FSE image of an Additively Manufactured (AD) Austenitic Stainless Steel sample revealing a very heterogeneous microstructure and a pattern resulting from the repetitive nature of this manufacturing process. Color variation relates to changes in the crystal orientation.
Fig. 3: ARGUS FSE image of deformed Cu.
Fig. 4: ARGUS FSE image of a Duplex Steel sample annealed for 8 hours at 650°C. The original banded structure is still visible with large Austenite grain bands separated by clusters of Ferrite, Sigma and Chi phases.
Fig. 5: ARGUS FSE image of a Co-alloy sample after indentation with Hysitron PicoIntender PI 89. Features of crystallographic origin indicating the activation of multiple slip systems are visible in the vicinity of indents at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock.
Fig. 6: ARGUS FSE images of a AZ31 sample after in-situ compression testing (left) and subsequent tensile testing (right). Extensive basal twinning that happened during the compression test can be seen in the upper left corner. Most twins disappeared from that region of the sample during the tensile test process.
Fig. 7: 12 Mpixel, low magnification ARGUS FSE image of a polycrystalline sample; image on the left is raw and image on the right is after automatic background subtraction applied by ESPRIT 2 software at the end of the scan. Image was acquired in ~3 minutes.
Fig. 8: ARGUS FSE image of an AlGaN single crystalline layer deposited on a patterned Sapphire substrate. The strong surface topography is responsible for the observed color variation.
Fig. 9: ARGUS FSE image of the same area as in Fig. 8 but with the ARGUS diodes positioned so they capture forescattered electrons with a much higher takeoff angle. Such a sample-detector geometry reduces the intensity of topography contrast thus making possible the visualization of microstructural features. In this case we can observe a honeycomb structure produced by the presence of residual strain in the layer, originating from the interface with the honeycomb patterned Sapphire substrate.
Fig. 10: ARGUS FSE image of sintered martensitic steel showing large Martensite regions with smaller Ferrite grains in between.