View in EDS

Electron channeling contrast tomography (ECCT): Dislocation tomography enabled by ECCI.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Electron channeling contrast tomography (ECCT): Dislocation tomography enabled by ECCI.
Authors: Weidner, Timmo1 (AUTHOR) timmo.weidner@univ-lille.fr, Gautier, Romain2 (AUTHOR) romain.gautier@imt-nord-europe.fr, Guitton, Antoine3 (AUTHOR) antoine.guitton@univ-lorraine.fr, Mussi, Alexandre1 (AUTHOR) alexandre.mussi@univ-lille.fr
Source: Scripta Materialia. May2026, Vol. 277, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Dislocation structure, Tomography, Electron microscopy, Electron microscope techniques, Material plasticity, Transmission electron microscopy, Scanning electron microscopes, Imaging systems
Abstract: 3D characterization of dislocations is critical for understanding plastic deformation in crystalline materials but remains experimentally challenging. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides 3D reconstructions of dislocations but the necessity to use thin-foils, which are difficult to prepare and are small in scale, restricts statistical applicability. Here, we present a proof-of-concept for reconstructing the 3D dislocation microstructure using electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Unlike previous SEM-based approaches relying on serial sectioning, which is time-consuming and remove the material under study, our approach is non-destructive. Two electron channeling contrast micrographs of a single-crystal Ni specimen, acquired at distinct tilt-angles, were used to reconstruct six dislocations via stereomicroscopy. The reconstructed dislocation microstructure reveals glide behavior and instances of cross-slip. This method offers a fast, and non-destructive path to 3D dislocation analyses in bulk materials using standard SEM equipment, extending tomography concepts beyond TEM to accessible SEM-based workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Scripta Materialia is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:3D characterization of dislocations is critical for understanding plastic deformation in crystalline materials but remains experimentally challenging. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides 3D reconstructions of dislocations but the necessity to use thin-foils, which are difficult to prepare and are small in scale, restricts statistical applicability. Here, we present a proof-of-concept for reconstructing the 3D dislocation microstructure using electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Unlike previous SEM-based approaches relying on serial sectioning, which is time-consuming and remove the material under study, our approach is non-destructive. Two electron channeling contrast micrographs of a single-crystal Ni specimen, acquired at distinct tilt-angles, were used to reconstruct six dislocations via stereomicroscopy. The reconstructed dislocation microstructure reveals glide behavior and instances of cross-slip. This method offers a fast, and non-destructive path to 3D dislocation analyses in bulk materials using standard SEM equipment, extending tomography concepts beyond TEM to accessible SEM-based workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:13596462
DOI:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2026.117234