OIM and X-ray texture analysis of melt-textured YBCO super-conductors

The results of two independent texture measurements on melt-textured Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) high-T_c superconductors are compared with each other. The texture data are acquired by means of an X-ray based pole figure texture analysis and of a local texture analysis provided by an automated electron-backscatter diffraction (EBSD) or often called orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) analysis. As samples, we employ two different melt-textured YBCO samples; one fully processed (orthorhombic) and one without oxygen treatment (tetragonal). Pole figures in [103] direction are used to enable a direct comparison. We find a clear coincidence between the results obtained by the two measurement techniques on the melt-textured YBCO samples, however, the EBSD results are much more detailed, yielding the local grain orientation distribution and quantitative results of the grain or subgrain misorientation angles. Therefore, the EBSD measurements give informations which are not accessible by the X-ray texture analysis.