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During the last years, a clear evidence of cyclic slip localization within planar
glide f.c.c. metals at early stages of fatigue damage and its evolution during
fatigue life was obtained via surface observations of sharp surface slip markings
using atomic force microscopy. The electron channeling contrast technique has
been applied to study the internal structure – dislocation structure. This powerful,
non-destructive method allows observations of the dislocation arrangement
responsible for surface markings as well to study their evolution in early stages of
fatigue. First results of the development of dislocation structure in 316L in
correlation with the markings produced by slip localizations are presented.