Photoemission Electron Microscopy as a Tool for Studying Steel Grains

Key properties of steel like stability, weldability, or ability for absorbing deformation energy are defined by their grain structure. The knowledge about their micrometer and submicrometer structure is of particular interest for tailor-cut macroscopic steel properties. We report on photoemission electron microscopy studies which in principle yield a higher magnification than comparable optical techniques. A flat surface without any topographic features was obtained by applying a non-etching preparation procedure. PEEM images showed very tiny phase islands embedded within a steel phase matrix. Furthermore, we developed an analysis procedure for PEEM images for dual-phase steels. As a result, it is possible to identify the individual work functions of different steel phases at the surface.