Exercise: Indexing of the electron diffraction patterns

Louisa Meshi

Formation of electron diffraction and HRTEM image

Ewald sphere construction:

(hkl) plane
specimen 2U

sinU=

g/2 1/P

1/dhkl * 1/2 = = 1/P =P/2dhkl

1/P ghkl
Origin of the reciprocal lattice

Phkl
Points of reciprocal lattice

Braggs law

Braggs conditions are satisfied when the Ewald sphere cuts a reciprocal lattice point specified by the indices of the reflecting plane.

For diffraction in electron microscope:

specimen 1/P Camera Length (L) Ewald sphere (1/P>>g)

The single crystal electron diffraction pattern is a series of spots equivalent to a magnified view of a planar section through the reciprocal lattice normal to the incident beam.

1\P
L

g ;
r

rdhkl=LP, LP - camera constant

Types of electron diffraction patterns:

Ring pattern from polysrystalline specimen. Major use:
Identification of the phases; Analysis of texture; Determination of the camera constant LP. LP

single Spot pattern from single-crystal region of the specimen. Major use:
The foil orientation can be determined; Identification of phases; The orientation relationship between structures can be determined.

Ring pattern:
The reciprocal lattice becomes a series of sphere concentric with the origin of the reciprocal lattice. beam

hkl sphere

The main steps of indexing ring patterns: 1) Measuring ring diameters D1, D2, D3 . 2) Calculation of the dhkl (using the expression: rdhkl=LP) =LP 3) Use some structure database to index each ring.

Spot pattern
All diffraction spots are obtained from planes belonging to one zone.
beam Crystal Ewald sphere g1 g2 O g3 Reciprocal lattice plane B Zone of reflecting planes B is a zone axis Real diffraction pattern: beam h1k1l1 h2k2l2 Schematic representation of diffraction pattern: h1k1l1 h2k2l2

Indexing the SAED pattern (spot pattern):

1)
h1k1l1
3 R1 J2 J1

h3k3l3

2) 3)

R2

h2k2l2

4)

Zone axis of the ED pattern = (h1k1l1) (h2k2l2)

5) 6)

Choose a parallelogram with smallest R1, R2, R3. Measure distances R1, R2, R3 and angles J1, J2. Calculate d1,d2,d3 (using the rule rd=LP). Correlate the measured d-values dwith dhkl taken from the list of standard interplanar distances for the given structure and ascribe h1k1l1 and h2k2l2 and h3k3l3 indices for the chosen three spots. Check the condition that h1+h2=h3; k1+k2=k3; l1+l2=l3. Compare the measured angles (both J1 and J2) with the calculated angles.

Practice time:
In the tutorial of the school you will find three electron diffraction patterns. These patterns are taken from Cu and Al. (Crystallographic data and LP of the LP microscope - are given). Index the SAED patterns and calculate the Zone Axis (ZA).