3. Sample preparation

3.1 Metallic materials

The current metal sample is massive, a very good electrical and thermal conductor, non-volatile and therefore insensitive to electrons. With metallic materials, the significant micro-relief can be observed:

• breaks ;

• machined or corroded surfaces;

• surface deposits ;

• polished and etched sections in much the same way as for optical metallography, the etching creating a significant micro-relief of the microstructure through preferential dissolution of the various phases and/or accentuated dissolution at the interfaces (grain boundaries and phase boundaries);

• unetched polished sections...