Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

This proposal seeks funds to purchase a new high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) system at the University of British Columbia. EBSD has arisen as one of the most powerful tools for materials characterization on the microscopic scale. The power of this technique is that it allows the user to have access to detailed information about the crystal structure, defect population and microstructural topology of a material with nanometric resolution and a field of measurement as large as a few centimeters in size. The resulting map of the material's structure is invaluable to understanding the correlation between process history (be it a manufactured engineering component or mineral from the earth's crust) and bulk properties. The acquisition of an EBSD system at UBC will make an immediate and strong impact on existing research programs, as well as on future research areas. For example, the NSERC Strategic Network on Developing Magnesium Materials for the Transportation Sector, led from UBC, will make extensive use of this facility in order to better guide the development of new lightweight, high-strength and ductile magnesium alloys. The proposed equipment is comprised of a high speed, high-resolution EBSD detector, forward scatter detector, high-speed computer and software for acquiring, analyzing and post-processing the measured data. This equipment will be mounted on a new FEG-SEM being purchased by the Quantum Materials Institute at UBC and will serve as part of the initial plan for modernization of the physical sciences electron microscopy facilities at UBC. The proposed equipment would be unique in Western Canada in terms of resolution and speed. Moreover, the experience of the applicants' with such systems thanks to their ongoing international collaborations means this system would be a world-leading centre for materials characterization by EBSD.