Reflector Selection for the Indexing of Electron Backscatter Diffraction Patterns

Abstract We propose a new methodology for ranking the reflectors used in traditional Hough-based indexing of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) patterns. Instead of kinematic X-ray or electron structure factors (F_hkl) currently utilized, we propose the integrated Kikuchi band intensity parameter (β_hkl) based on integrated dynamical electron backscatter intensities. The proposed parameter is compared with the traditional kinematical intensity, $I_hkl^{{\rm kin}} $, as well as the average Hough transform peak intensity, $I_hkl^{{\rm HSP}} $ and used to index EBSD patterns for a number of different material systems of varying unit cell complexities including nickel, silicon, rutile, and forsterite. For elemental structures, β_hkl closely follows the kinematical ranking. However, significant ranking differences arise for more complex unit cells, with the β_hkl parameter showing a better correlation with the integrated Hough intensities. Finally, Hough-based indexing of a simulated forsterite data set showed an appreciable improvement in the median confidence index (0.15 to 0.35) when β_hkl is used instead of $I_hkl^{{\rm kin}} $ for ranking the reflectors.