LAUSR

Spatially resolved orientation mapping is increasingly performed using electron microscopy techniques, including: electron backscatter diffraction, transmission Kikuchi diffraction and scanning precession electron diffraction. The resulting orientation maps contain a wealth of information with crystal phase and orientation specified at each pixel. However, the depth of this data is often underutilized owing to challenges posed by the analysis of such large quantities of data. In the context of understanding complex and multi-phase materials it is important to characterize inter-phase relationships between nanoscale precipitates and the surrounding matrix, which both affect properties and are indicative of formation pathways. Revealing inter-phase relationships requires statistical assessment of the orientation relationship across the phase boundary, the spatial occurrence of particular boundaries and the surfaces of contact at interfaces. Analysis procedures that highlight relationships in both spatial and orientation dimensions are therefore required. Here, we present an approach to revealing inter-phase relationships, based on considering orientation data in 3-dimensional vector spaces constrained to fundamental zones defined by the crystal symmetry of both crystals.