Automatic open source measurement of the orientation of crystalline materials using satellite tech
What is it about?
We present a series of image analysis tools to process diffraction patterns. These patterns inform us of the structure of the material illuminated by an electron beam. Automatic analysis of the patterns, with an open source tool box, enables us to generate new approaches to link these measurements to the properties of materials (e.g. how well they can be formed, how well they perform in engineering applications such as nuclear reactors, aeroplanes, and electronic devices).
Why is it important?
Crystal orientation controls material properties. We can measure this within the scanning electron microscope. We can reveal the internal structure and link this to the performance of materials. High resolution and high contrast information is critical to develop new materials and contribute to significant weight saving, improved performance, and durability of high value / high volume crystalline materials (e.g. metals, ceramics, semiconductor devices, and nature materials such as minerals). Our tool is open source, which provides the community with new approaches to develop insight and provide a stepping stone for the development of international collaborations. We borrow tools from the astronomy community to enable the difficult indexing step to be performed.