Soldering terminology

Before investigating the microscopic structure at the top of a soft solder such as Sn-Pb, it is advisable to provide this tip with a copper coating. Since the layer is very thin, the micro-patterned structure is enlarged when the polished sample is fixed at a certain angle. The magnification rate is used for this purpose. The figure shows the cross section of a base material sample fixed in an inclined position. The diagonal cut normally results in a ten-fold increase and an angle of 5°44'21'' (nominally 6°) is normally used, such as in the picture. Sometimes the sample is fixed in a distorted form, which is why it is called a distortion rate.