The degradation of EBSD-patterns as a tool to investigate surface crystallized glasses and to identify glassy surface layers

Analysis of the cordierite X-phase and phase transformation by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)

“…This is in agreement with Ref. [13] and the original observation of the glass skin [14] which led to a theory indicating that nucleation may actually occur a few nm below the glass surface [14].…”

“…[7][8][9][10]. The recent application of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to the surface crystallization of cordierite [11,12] has confirmed some previous results such as statistical crystal nucleation at the surface and a glass skin covering these topmost crystals [13,14]. Some new insights into local orientations and orientation development during growth were also provided.…”

“…solid, homogeneous growth of a single layer of crystals into the bulk. The method of EBSD-pattern degradation [13] was also applied and showed a discrepancy in the minimal step size with which unpolished crystals at the surface and polished crystals in cross sections could be scanned, i.e. there is a glass skin covering the crystals at the immediate surface.…”

“…2b) as well as the grain boundaries show a higher contrast. It may be concluded that the glass layer covering the crystals [13,14] was removed during etching. Both surfaces show a large number of crystals above the cordierite crystals, mainly following the grain boundaries of the underlying μ-cordierite.…”

Oriented Nucleation of both Ge-Fresnoite and Benitoite/BaGe4O9 during the Surface Crystallisation of Glass Studied by Electron Backscatter Diffraction

“…As the EBSD-scan was performed with a step size of 200 nm, the thermal footprints of the scan step overlap which can lead to increased temperatures in the scan area and even cause EBSD-pattern degradation48. In the case of this scan, a significant increase of the topography contrast was observed after the scan, probably because some of the residual glass at the surface was evaporated.…”