title: Orientation and phase mapping in the transmission electron microscope using precession-assisted diffraction spot recognition: state-of-the-art results.
abstract: A recently developed technique based on the transmission electron microscope, which makes use of electron beam precession together with spot diffraction pattern recognition now offers the possibility to acquire reliable orientation/phase maps with a spatial resolution down to 2 nm on a field emission gun transmission electron microscope. The technique may be described as precession-assisted crystal orientation mapping in the transmission electron microscope, precession-assisted crystal orientation mapping technique-transmission electron microscope, also known by its product name, ASTAR, and consists in scanning the precessed electron beam in nanoprobe mode over the specimen area, thus producing a collection of precession electron diffraction spot patterns, to be thereafter indexed automatically through template matching. We present a review on several application examples relative to the characterization of microstructure/microtexture of nanocrystalline metals, ceramics, nanoparticles, minerals and organics. The strengths and limitations of the technique are also discussed using several application examples.
authors.affiliation: CPCM Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat de Química, Departament de Ciencia de Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Viladot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Véron
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gemmi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peiró
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Portillo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estradé
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Llorca-Isern
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicolopoulos
keywords: Precession-assisted crystal orientation mapping; TEM orientation and phase mapping; precession electron diffraction