Abstract: An apparatus for determining crystallographic characteristics of a specimen having at least one crystal includes an electron beam generator, a beam deflector for adjusting the tilt and azimuth angles of the electron beam relative to the specimen, a stage for holding the specimen, an image collection system for obtaining a plurality of dark field images, a data store, and a processor for processing the dark field images to identify a plurality of crystal lattice planes associated with the crystals. The dark field images are obtained under different electron beam tilt and azimuth deflection conditions. The bright pixels in each dark field image are identified and utilized to determine the spatial location and orientation of the crystal lattice planes and the crystals themselves. An orientation image is produced that represents the orientation of the crystals within the specimen.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the reliability of crystallographic solutions of a specimen includes an electron beam generator, a stage for holding the specimen, an image collection system for obtaining diffraction images of crystals within the specimen, and processor for processing the diffraction images to obtain most probable indexing solutions for the crystals and to generate confidence factors associated with the most probable indexing solutions. The apparatus may utilize the confidence factors to determine the phase of the crystals within the specimen. The confidence factors may also be incorporated into reports representing the statistical confidence of various crystallographic characteristics of the specimen.