Morphology (2D, 3D)
The morphology of microstructural features affects the properties of materials. To study shapes of objects in great detail is important for materials characterization.
Morphology is the study of shapes of objects. In materials science and engineering, the morphology of microstructural features has a strong control over the properties of materials. This connection emphasizes the importance of the study of morphology while characterizing materials. Features such as inclusions, precipitates, grains, other particles, etc are analyzed with light optical or electron microscopy on sample surface and post-image processing.
This method reveals the shape of the particles on average. Sometimes, the 3D morphology, i.e., the 3D structure will be of interest. In such cases, controlled material removal through surface polishing or ion-beam milling provide chances for imaging at different depths of the feature. Techniques such as focused ion beam sectioning and imaging through SEM within the FIB-SEM equipment would be a cleaner method to achieve the same goal. We have availability of all microscopy and focused ion beam tools in our laboratory.