Nanoindentation investigation of incoherent twin boundary migration in Au nanocrystalline films

Abstract

Incoherent twin boundary (ITB) evolution and migration induced by nanoindentation in Au nanocrystalline films were systematically investigated by Cs-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With a gradient stress distribution at various indentation depths, 9R/3R phase nucleation is greatly facilitated at the ITBs. The 9R/3R phase formation can be achieved by collective glide of triple partial dislocations with different Burgers vectors at two phase boundaries. With 9R/3R phase at ITBs, atoms on consecutive {111} planes shear in a helical manner, generating zero macroscopic strain during ITB migration. Dislocation interactions with ITBs were further analyzed by combining atomic-scale high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM) with geometric phase analysis method. ITBs can both absorb partial dislocations and emit partial dislocations from the junctions between coherent twin boundaries and ITBs, providing complementary mechanisms for ITB migration in Au nanocrystalline films under nanoindentation. These results suggest the critical role of 9R/3R phase nucleation in ITB migration and provide a deeper understanding of nanoindentation-induced deformation twinning in nanocrystalline films.