*** 9411850 MANCUSO SBIR Phase-II funds are provided to investigators at Advanced Microscopy Techniques to develop an energy filter for electron backscatting patterns (EBSP) with fine pattern resolution and a large acceptance angel. The Phase-II research objectives are: 1) to develop an energy filter and EBSP sensor element that retains high quality micro-diffraction patterns with improved contract due to energy filtering, and 2) maintain a large acceptance angel for the microdiffraction patterns. If these improvements can be made, two major advances would be possible. First, the visibility of the diffraction pattern would improve for both direct viewing and for digital acquisition and analysis. This would extend EBSP ( and consequently SEM) to a greater variety of applications and materials. Second, the new device could serve a dual purpose as both an EBXP detector and a small angle (dark field) detector. Thus, both quantitative analysis of diffraction patterns and qualitative diffraction imaging are available to the materials researcher. The success of this research will lead to a Phase-III program to develop a system that can be used in basic research, materials design and manufacturing support. The technique can be adapted to both new electron microscopes and the large existing base of SEMs - allowing the fullest use of SEM technology in materials characterization. ***
