A review of microstructural etching techniques

Etching to reveal microstructure is of course a very common need. Etchant selection is critical to the interpretation of structure, as well as to common quality control measurements. However, the selection of the appropriate technique to use, and the difference it can make, is commonly misunderstood.

This talk will contrast and compare both existing and groundbreaking techniques for revealing microstructure, concentrating mostly on difficult to etch materials and the avoidance of high hazard chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid. We will demonstrate some of the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches, with an emphasis on quality and reproducibility of results.