Download file (16.7 MB)
Download as zip (16.3 MB)

Collection

Citation

Description:

The influence of the accelerating voltage on the spatial resolution and phase indexing accuracy of electron backscattered diffraction (SEM-EBSD) was systematically investigated using austenitic heat-resistant steel. Both traditional Hough transformation and novel Spherical Indexing methods were employed to analyze the kernel average misorientation (KAM) and indexing of fine M23C6 precipitates. It was confirmed that lower accelerating voltages reduce the interaction volume, thereby improving the spatial resolution. Spherical Indexing provided enhanced accuracy in detecting local misorientations, especially in the creep-ruptured material. While the effect of the accelerating voltage on KAM was minimal, it became significant when indexing fine precipitates. At 10 kV, precipitates as small as 50 nm on the Σ3 boundaries could be indexed, whereas precipitates of 200 nm at 15 kV and 300 nm at 25 kV were required for reliable identification. These results demonstrate the critical role of measurement conditions in advanced EBSD microstructural characterization and suggest the effectiveness of Spherical Indexing for high-resolution evaluation of creep damage and phase separation of nanoscale features.

Rights:

• Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 International
  

Keyword: EBSD, Pattern matching, Spherical indexing, Accelerating voltage, Spatial resolution

Date published: 2026-05-16

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Journal:

• Ultramicroscopy (ISSN: 03043991) vol. 284 114387

Funding:

• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

MDR DOI:

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2026.114387

Related item:

Other identifier(s):

Contact agent:

Updated at: 2026-05-25 11:28:35 +0900

Published on MDR: 2026-05-25 12:30:05 +0900