Curved crystal lattice in resolidified submicron Al lines

Abstract

The microstructure of Al lines resolidified in an amorphous groove pattern, is investigated by backscatter Kikuchi diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). If a temperature gradient is present during cooling, the Al lines do not have the common (111) fiber texture. Instead, the (111) crystal planes are parallel to the vertical sidewalls of the grooves and the crystal lattice shows a remarkable, constant curvature over the entire line length of 1 cm. TEM revealed parallel dislocations in the bulk of the line and small crystallites at the interfaces. It is suggested that the (111) sidewall texture is a consequence of the sidewall area being larger than the bottom area. The observed lattice curvature is explained by a nonisotropic movement of dislocations during cooling.