Abstract
Micrometer- or submicrometer-sized metallic pillars are widely studied by investigators worldwide, not only to provide insights into fundamental phenomena, but also to explore potential applications in microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices. While these materials with a diminutive volume exhibit unprecedented properties, e.g., strength values that approach the theoretical strength, their plastic flow is frequently intermittent as manifested by strain bursts, which is mainly attributed to dislocation activity at such length scales. Specifically, the increased ratio of free surface to volume promotes collective dislocation release resulting in dislocation starvation at the submicrometer scale or the formation of single-arm dislocation sources (truncated dislocations) at the micrometer scale. This article reviews and critically assesses recent progress in tailoring the microstructure of pillars, both extrinsically and intrinsically, to suppress plastic instabilities in micrometer or submicrometer-sized metallic pillars using an approach that involves confining the dislocations inside the pillars. Moreover, we identify strategies that can be implemented to fabricate submicrometer-sized metallic pillars that simultaneously exhibit stabilized plasticity and ultrahigh strength.
Highlights
The strength of metals increases when their size decreases to the micrometer scale
Additional decreases of sample dimensions down to the submicrometer (0.5 μm in diameter) scale for single crystal Ni3 Al-Ta can result in compressive flow stress values as high as 2.0 GPa, which represents the order of magnitude of the theoretical strength value
Some cases, on strain bursts and work hardening presented in this review paper; third, a large portion of the published stress-strain curves paper were extracted from the literature, which did not intentionally report the plastic instabilities of discussed in this work were originally reported in an effort to study deformation mechanisms and micropillars or nanopillars
Summary
The strength of metals increases when their size decreases to the micrometer scale. A review of the literature published during the last decade reveals numerous experimental and theoretical studies of materials with sample dimensions down to micrometers and/or nanometers, frequently described as a new regime to mediate the mechanical behavior of metals [1,2,3,4,5]. In view of Crystals this, the results, which suggest that it is possible to attain the desired combination of stable plastic deformation to achieve stable plastic flow, as well as to obtain appreciable strain hardening in micrometer- or and high strength; second, to describe submicron-sized crystalline materials.a series of strategies that can be implemented to design the review of the published literature, reveals that a vast majority of to published microstructureA in micrometerand/or submicron-sized crystalline samples attain studies near theoretical have concentrated issuesdeformation. Some cases, on strain bursts and work hardening presented in this review paper; third, a large portion of the published stress-strain curves (or load-displacement curves) paper were extracted from the literature, which did not intentionally report the plastic instabilities of discussed in this work were originally reported in an effort to study deformation mechanisms and micropillars or nanopillars. Review paper were extracted from the literature, which did not intentionally report the plastic instabilities of micropillars or nanopillars
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