EBSD Pattern Acquisition via Adaptive Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for acquiring electron backscatter diffraction patterns face challenges such as long dwell times that lead to radiation damage, signal saturation, and beam drift, which increase data acquisition time and reduce data quality.
Innovation Solution
A data-driven approach where the sample is repetitively scanned with short dwell times until the signal quality reaches a threshold, allowing for immediate data readout of each electron and adjusting imaging parameters based on signal quality, reducing total acquisition time and radiation damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional EBSD pattern acquisition methods are used with long dwell times, then signal quality is improved, but radiation damage increases and data acquisition time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic scanning of the sample with the electron beam, where the beam repeatedly scans the same region multiple times with short dwell times. Instead of using a single long exposure, the system performs multiple short exposures and accumulates the EBSD patterns from each scan, achieving high signal quality without prolonged radiation exposure at any single moment.
2Measurement precision
If conventional EBSD pattern acquisition methods are used with long dwell times, then signal quality is improved, but data acquisition time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous scanning motion throughout the data acquisition process, eliminating idle time between measurements. The electron beam continuously scans the sample region repeatedly without stopping, and EBSD patterns are accumulated in real-time during the scanning process, ensuring that every moment contributes to data collection rather than waiting for a single long exposure to complete.
3Measurement precision
If conventional EBSD pattern acquisition methods are used, then complete diffraction patterns are obtained, but beam drift occurs during long exposure times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the EBSD pattern acquisition into multiple discrete segments or frames, where each frame is captured during a single short dwell time in one scan. Instead of capturing one complete pattern during a long exposure, the system collects multiple partial patterns across repeated scans and combines them computationally, ensuring that each individual pattern is captured under stable beam conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces the total data acquisition time, minimizes radiation damage, and effectively corrects beam drift, while maintaining high signal quality and reducing the duration of each scan, thereby improving the efficiency of electron backscatter diffraction pattern acquisition.
Implementation Method 1
backscattered electrons consist of high-energy electrons that are reflected or back-scattered out of an interaction volume of the sample by elastic scattering interactions between the charged particle beam and the sample atoms
Implementation Method 2
The backscattered electrons may be collected by a detector in the form of a two-dimensional electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) pattern
Data Source
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AI summary
Various methods and systems are provided for acquiring electron backscatter diffraction patterns. In one example, a first scan is performed by directing a charged particle beam towards multiple impact points within a ROI and detecting particles scattered from the multiple impact points. A signal quality of each impact point of the multiple impact points is calculated based on the detected particles. A signal quality of the ROI is calculated based on the signal quality of each impact point. Responsive to the signal quality of the ROI lower than a threshold signal quality, a second scan of the ROI is performed. A structural image of the sample may be formed based on detected particles from both the first scan and the second scan.