McGill Electron Microscopy Research Group

Specific techniques in the SEM

At the McGill Electron Microscopy Research Group (MEMRG), the development and improvement of innovative techniques in the SEM is at the core of our research. From sample preparation to data post-processing, new approaches to characterize advanced materials have been developed in the recent years. A new technique, based on the immersion of geological materials in a diluted solution of ionic liquid (BMI-BF4) prior to the SEM analysis, was applied and permitted to obtain high resolution Kikuchi patterns with reduced charging issues and EBSD maps were acquired without drift or signal distortion. An EBSD camera fitted with a forescatter detector (FSD) was used to take advantage of its full capabilities for imaging and analysis. By placing the camera below a thin sample, the acquisition of Kikuchi patterns and orientation maps close to the nanoscale were possible. With the same configuration, the two bottom diodes of the FSD were used to collect high angle scattered electrons to generate dark-field images with nanometer resolution. Finally, magnetic domain imaging is now possible with the normal EBSD configuration when the FSD is used to collect the forwarded electrons deviated by the magnetic force inside each domains, permitting to related texture obtained by EBSD with the magnetic domain structure of the same area.