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True Colour SEM Imaging for Phase Recognition AMD X-Ray Microanalysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Peter J. Statham*
Affiliation:
Oxford Instruments Microanalysis Group

Extract

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Secondary (SE) and backscattered electron (BSE) signals in the SEM provide high resolution monochrome images. BSE signal strength is modulated by mean atomic number and ‘false” colour can be introduced to enhance material contrast. Colour can also be introduced using multiple SE detectors, each with a different sensitivity to topographic and compositional information: by controlling signal mixtures and colours, the operator effectively has access to a powerful “studio” to generate aesthetically pleasing colour images. In both these examples, the correspondence between local elemental content and colour is entirely arbitrary and under subjective control of the operator, Elemental x-ray maps can be acquired and combinations colour coded to reveal phase distributions. For large numbers of maps and images, chemometric techniques such as PCA may be used to discover common relationships and assist the process of colour coding. Images derived from x-ray maps are usually low resolution and the analyst has to decide which elements to include and do a fair amount of data manipulation before any conclusions can be drawn.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 1997

References

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I am grateful to my colleagues, particularly Neville Cox for software implemetatioh and Judith Root, Mohinder Dosanjh and Pierre Rolland for experimental work.Google Scholar