The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the ability of the scanning low-energy electron microscopy to visualize the transformed induced plasticity steel microstructure with extremely high sensitivity. Using the retarding mode in the scanning electron microscope, the high contrast between the individual phases has been obtained, which enables us to differentiate the retained austenite and the other phases. The sets of the micrographs have been collected from the sample at a wide range of landing energies of primary electrons from 50 eV to 10 keV and the dependence of the contrast between the phases on the landing energy has been calculated. Upon a comparison of these contrast curves, the optimal conditions for achieving of maximum contrast have been established.
Keywords: SEM; SLEEM; cathode lens mode; crystallographic contrast; multi-phase steels; surface sensitivity.