A new technique for studying grains and sub-structures in Al was presented. The use of Ga in the scanning electron microscope, for increased visibility of grain boundaries and sub-grain boundaries in Al alloys, had proved to be effective. This technique was compared with characterization, using EBSD and transmission electron microscopy, and shown to be able to detect dislocation boundaries with misorientations below 1°.

Gallium Enhanced Microscopy for Revealing Grain Boundaries and Dislocation Sub-Boundaries in Aluminium Alloys. J.Hagström, O.V.Mishin, B.Hutchinson: Scripta Materialia, 2003, 49[10], 1035-40