ABSTRACT
Saving in data acquisition times, together with a reduction in the dose received by any plane on a surface, can be realised by collecting several signals in parallel. In general, computer procedures offer the potential for stereological interpretation of images and, if combined with adequate pattern recognition procedures, provide rapid and true interpretation of 2-D images. Video images, such as the output of a scanning electron microscope, can be captured and stored by converting the analogue video signal into a digital image for storage in the computer memory. The widespread availability of computer systems combined with appropriate software provides the capability to quantify images on a routine basis. A wide range of software computer packages is available to undertake these calculations and plot the diffraction patterns. In the relatively simple case of polycrystalline materials, computer simulations have been used to examine the interrelationship between 2-D and 3-D distributions of the grains.
