---
title: "List of materials analysis methods"
chunk: 1/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_materials_analysis_methods"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:29:31.983481+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

This is a list of analysis methods used in materials science. Analysis methods are listed by their acronym, if one exists.

== Symbols ==
μSR – see muon spin spectroscopy
χ – see magnetic susceptibility

== A ==
AAS – Atomic absorption spectroscopy
AED – Auger electron diffraction
AES – Auger electron spectroscopy
AFM – Atomic force microscopy
AFS – Atomic fluorescence spectroscopy
Analytical ultracentrifugation
APFIM – Atom probe field ion microscopy
APS – Appearance potential spectroscopy
ARPES – Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy
ARUPS – Angle resolved ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy
ATR – Attenuated total reflectance

== B ==
BET – BET surface area measurement (BET from Brunauer, Emmett, Teller)
BiFC – Bimolecular fluorescence complementation
BKD – Backscatter Kikuchi diffraction, see EBSD
BRET – Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer
BSED – Back scattered electron diffraction, see EBSD

== C ==
CAICISS – Coaxial impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy
CARS – Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy
CBED – Convergent beam electron diffraction
CCM – Charge collection microscopy
CDI – Coherent diffraction imaging
CE – Capillary electrophoresis
CET – Cryo-electron tomography
CL – Cathodoluminescence
CLSM – Confocal laser scanning microscopy
COSY – Correlation spectroscopy
Cryo-EM – Cryo-electron microscopy
Cryo-SEM – Cryo-scanning electron microscopy
CV – Cyclic voltammetry

== D ==
DE(T)A – Dielectric thermal analysis
dHvA – De Haas–van Alphen effect
DIC – Differential interference contrast microscopy
Dielectric spectroscopy
DLS – Dynamic light scattering
DLTS – Deep-level transient spectroscopy
DMA – Dynamic mechanical analysis
DPI – Dual polarisation interferometry
DRS – Diffuse reflection spectroscopy
DSC – Differential scanning calorimetry
DTA – Differential thermal analysis
DVS – Dynamic vapour sorption

== E ==
EBIC – Electron beam induced current (see IBIC:  ion beam induced charge)
EBS – Elastic (non-Rutherford) backscattering spectrometry (see RBS)
EBSD – Electron backscatter diffraction
ECOSY – Exclusive correlation spectroscopy
ECT – Electrical capacitance tomography
EDAX – Energy-dispersive analysis of x-rays
EDMR – Electrically detected magnetic resonance, see ESR or EPR
EDS or EDX – Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
EELS – Electron energy loss spectroscopy
EFTEM – Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy
EID – Electron induced desorption
EIT and ERT – Electrical impedance tomography and electrical resistivity tomography
EL – Electroluminescence
Electron crystallography
ELS – Electrophoretic light scattering
ENDOR – Electron nuclear double resonance, see ESR or EPR
EPMA – Electron probe microanalysis
EPR – Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy
ERD or ERDA – Elastic recoil detection or elastic recoil detection analysis
ESCA – Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis see XPS
ESD – Electron stimulated desorption
ESEM – Environmental scanning electron microscopy
ESI-MS or ES-MS – Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry or electrospray mass spectrometry
ESR – Electron spin resonance spectroscopy
ESTM – Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy
EXAFS – Extended X-ray absorption fine structure
EXSY – Exchange spectroscopy

== F ==
FCS – Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy
FCCS – Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy
FEM – Field emission microscopy
FIB – Focused ion beam microscopy
FIM-AP – Field ion microscopy–atom probe
Flow birefringence
Fluorescence anisotropy
FLIM – Fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence microscopy
FOSPM – Feature-oriented scanning probe microscopy
FRET – Fluorescence resonance energy transfer
FRS – Forward Recoil Spectrometry,  a synonym of ERD
FTICR or FT-MS – Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance or Fourier-transform mass spectrometry
FTIR – Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

== G ==
GC-MS – Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
GDMS – Glow discharge mass spectrometry
GDOS – Glow discharge optical spectroscopy
GISAXS – Grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering
GIXD – Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction
GIXR – Grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity
GLC – Gas-liquid chromatography
GPC – Gel permeation chromatography

== H ==
HAADF – High angle annular dark-field imaging
HAS – Helium atom scattering
HPLC – High performance liquid chromatography
HREELS – High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy
HREM – High-resolution electron microscopy
HRTEM – High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
HI-ERDA – Heavy-ion elastic recoil detection analysis
HE-PIXE – High-energy proton induced X-ray emission

== I ==
IAES – Ion induced Auger electron spectroscopy
IBA – Ion beam analysis
IBIC – Ion beam induced charge microscopy
ICP-AES – Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy
ICP-MS – Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Immunofluorescence
ICR – Ion cyclotron resonance
IETS – Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy
IGA – Intelligent gravimetric analysis
IGF – Inert gas fusion
IIX – Ion induced X-ray analysis, see particle induced X-ray emission
INS – Ion neutralization spectroscopy
Inelastic neutron scattering
IRNDT – Infrared non-destructive testing of materials
IRS – Infrared spectroscopy
ISS – Ion scattering spectroscopy
ITC – Isothermal titration calorimetry
IVEM – Intermediate voltage electron microscopy

== L ==
LALLS – Low-angle laser light scattering
LC-MS – Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
LEED – Low-energy electron diffraction
LEEM – Low-energy electron microscopy
LEIS – Low-energy ion scattering
LIBS – Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy
LOES – Laser optical emission spectroscopy
LS – Light (Raman) scattering

== M ==
MALDI – Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization
MBE – Molecular beam epitaxy
MEIS – Medium energy ion scattering
MFM – Magnetic force microscopy
MIT – Magnetic induction tomography
MPM – Multiphoton fluorescence microscopy
MRFM – Magnetic resonance force microscopy
MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging
MS – Mass spectrometry
MS/MS – Tandem mass spectrometry
MSGE – Mechanically stimulated gas emission
Mössbauer spectroscopy
MTA – Microthermal analysis

== N ==
NAA – Neutron activation analysis
ND – Neutron diffraction
NDP – Neutron depth profiling
NEXAFS – Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure
NIS – Nuclear inelastic scattering/absorption
NMR – Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
NOESY – Nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy
NRA – Nuclear reaction analysis
NSOM – Near-field optical microscopy

== O ==
OBIC – Optical beam induced current
ODNMR – Optically detected magnetic resonance, see ESR or EPR
OES – Optical emission spectroscopy
Osmometry