Interlaboratory Round-Robin Study of Errors and Best Practices for Scanning Electron Microscope Digital Image Correlation

Abstract

Background: Scanning electron microscope digital image correlation (SEM-DIC), also referred to as high-resolution digital image correlation (HR-DIC), is a powerful method to measure displacements and strains at the micro to nanoscale. While SEM-DIC is gaining popularity, the nature of various errors in SEM-DIC is not clear. Objective: To advance the practice, this work seeks a more extensive and cohesive understanding of the types and causes of errors in SEM-DIC. Previous works have identified SEM imaging errors that are problematic for DIC, including spatial distortions, drift distortions, noise, stabilization errors, and line jumps. Methods: The work presented here outlines a unique, interlaboratory, round-robin format to investigate how beam and hardware settings can optimize SEM-DIC image quality. Characterization using multiple SEMs of different vendors, models, and types (e.g., electrostatic and electromagnetic columns) helps identify the types, magnitudes, and causes of SEM-DIC errors, as well as the optimum conditions to reduce such errors. Results: As part of the iDICs round-robin challenge, over 2,000 total SEM images, which are available as an open-access dataset, were analyzed in this study, comprising images from five SEMs, two sample patterning types, and two magnifications. To quantify SEM-DIC errors, this work developed new error metrics to quantify the severity of line jumps, left-edge smear, horizontal skewing, vertical skewing, and translational drift. Conclusions: This round-robin study found that most SEM-DIC experiments should utilize high beam voltages (e.g., 30 kV), fast dwell times (e.g., 1 µs), low to moderate beam currents (e.g., less than 1 nA), no line averaging/integration, and cropping of the left-most portion of images.

BibTeX

@article{2026_tucker_sem_dic_round_robin,
  title     = {Interlaboratory Round-Robin Study of Errors and Best Practices for Scanning Electron Microscope Digital Image Correlation},
  author    = {Tucker V and Vermeij T and Montgomery C and Stinville JC and Liu M and Pollock T and Sottos N and Hoefnagels J and LePage W},
  journal   = {Experimental Mechanics},
  year      = {2026},
  doi       = {10.1007/s11340-026-01347-6},
}

Vancouver

Tucker V, Vermeij T, Montgomery C, Stinville JC, Liu M, Pollock T, et al. Interlaboratory Round-Robin Study of Errors and Best Practices for Scanning Electron Microscope Digital Image Correlation. Exp Mech. 2026. doi:10.1007/s11340-026-01347-6

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This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature's AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-026-01347-6