Edax Inc., Mahwah, N.J., has launched the world’s first commercially available direct electron detector designed for electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The Clarity system provides zero noise and zero distortion collection of EBSD patterns by directly measuring the incident electrons onto the detector. This approach removes the traditional phosphor and optics from the collection path, resulting in sharper EBSD patterns with higher sensitivity.
Powered by this technology, Clarity is optimized for applications where traditional EBSD analytical conditions are not viable for quality results. Clarity is ideal for analyzing beam sensitive materials, such as perovskite solar cells, where higher beam currents damage the internal crystallographic structure and inhibit EBSD pattern detection.
Lower operating currents also benefit nonconductive samples such as ceramics, where electron charging effects disrupt analysis. Low-voltage operation reduces the interaction volume within the sample for an improved spatial resolution when working with nanomaterials. The high-quality EBSD patterns collected improve the HR-EBSD and strain analysis.
“The improved pattern quality made possible by the Clarity system raises intriguing possibilities in the area of cross-correlation-based EBSD analysis,” says Josh Kacher, an Assistant Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. “It is already showing promising results in understanding the relationship between complex dislocation structures and internal stress fields in additively manufactured alloys.”
