3. Diffraction

Compared with other diffraction techniques (X-ray and neutron), electron diffraction enables structural analysis on a microscopic scale, in correlation with the image. Diffraction patterns are a rich source of information on the crystallographic structure of metals and their defects. Depending on requirements, several diffraction modes can be employed, differing in the size of the illuminated zone and the angle of convergence of the incident beam. Theoretical bases in this field can be found elsewhere [M 4 126] .