Kikuchi patterns

Sharp intersecting lines are sometimes observed in diffraction data for single-crystal or poly-crystalline materials, depending on the experimental geometry. In electron microscopy, multiple-scattering events create these Kikuchi patterns, while in x-ray scattering they may be called Kossel lines. These lines arise due to multiple-scattering effect, e.g. when the x-ray source has high divergence.

Using a high-flux x-ray source (synchrotron), one can observe a related effect purely from the diffuse scattering undergoing multiple scattering. 'Multiple diffuse scattering' (DMS) can thus give rise to weak lines in a scattering image for crystalline materials (e.g. if one's sample is supported on a silicon substrate).

See Also

• W. G. Morris Crystal orientation and lattice parameters from Kossel lines J. Appl. Phys. 1968, 39, 1813–1823. doi: 10.1063/1.1656436
• G. Nolze, C. Grosse and A. Winkelmann Kikuchi pattern analysis of noncentrosymmetric crystals J. Appl. Cryst. 2015, 48. doi: 10.1107/S1600576715014016
• A.G.A. Nisbet, G. Beutier, F. Fabrizi, B. Mosera and S. P. Collins Diffuse multiple scattering Acta Cryst. A 2015, 20-25. doi: 10.1107/S2053273314026515