A Review of Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging for Non-Destructive Defect Analysis of Crystalline Solids

Since its discovery in 1967 Furthermore, it was immediately apparent that electron channeling held promise for both imaging and identifying crystallographic defects by SEM in a manner comparable to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) While unable to obtain similar resolution to TEM, SEM-based electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) could nevertheless access similar contrast mechanisms to TEM. Specifically, the lattice strain induced by crystallographic defects could generate contrast equivalent to TEM-based diffraction contrast. By aligning the scanned electron beam to the Bragg angle for a specific set of crystallographic planes, the detected backscattered electron (BSE) yield will strongly fluctuate near extended defects, producing BSE intensity profiles indicative of both the directionality and magnitude of local lattice displacements induced by extended defects.