Experimental Evaluation of Plastic Property of a Low-Dimensional Cu Nano-Component

Abstract

The plasticity of a copper (Cu) nano-component is experimentally evaluated by a cantilever specimen with multi-layered structure. The cantilever is monotonically loaded by a diamond tip and the deflection at the free-end is precisely measured by a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The plastic deformation of the Cu nano-component is successfully monitored through the non-linear behavior of applied load, P, and cantilever deflection, δ. The plastic constitutive quation of the Cu component is inversely analyzed by finite element method (FEM) assuming that the component obeys the Ramberg-Osgood law. The parameters in the R-O law (σ0, n and α) are optimally fitted to reproduce the experimentally evaluated P-δ relation. The resultant parameter set is derived as (σ0, n, α) = (345 MPa, 3.2, 1.25). The Cu nano-component has a much higher yield stress and a hardening rate compared with the ones in a bulk Cu.