Introduction

Because diffracted electrons escape from within only a few tens of nanometres of the specimen surface, specimen preparation for EBSD is critical to achieve good results.   If material near the surface is deformed,  or has any surface contaminant, oxide or reaction product layers present, then EBSD pattern formation may be suppressed.

For many materials, standard preparation methods may be employed successfully with care.   As a general rule standard preparation methods can be progressed to the final polishing stage without any deviation from the normal route employed. Thereafter, an additional polishing stage using colloidal silica is all that is required to achieve a finish suitable for EBSD.

However, different materials respond differently to common preparation methods. Therefore the material under investigation should be considered on an individual basis and prepared appropriately. The manufacturers of preparation equipment should be consulted for the applicability of a given approach for a given material.

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