Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging (ECCI) is becoming a powerful tool in materials science for characterizing deformation defects. Dislocations observed by ECCI in scanning electron microscope exhibit several features depending on the crystal orientation relative to the incident beam (white/black line on a dark/bright background). In order to bring new insights concerning these contrasts, we report an original theoretical approach based on the dynamical diffraction theory. Our calculations led, for the first time, to an explicit formulation of the back-scattered intensity as a function of various physical and practical parameters governing the experiment. Intensity profiles are modeled for dislocations parallel to the sample surface for different channeling conditions. All theoretical predictions are consistent with experimental results.
Keywords: ECCI; dislocation contrast; dynamical theory of electron diffraction; invisibility criteria; modeled intensity profiles.