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Dependence of confined plastic flow of polycrystalline Cu thin films on microstructure

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Abstract

Axial compression was conducted on micro-pillars, in which polycrystalline Cu thin films were sandwiched between CrN and Si. Plastic flow of Cu was achieved, when the Cu films are inclined either at 90° or 45° with respect to the pillar axis. The texture of Cu films was altered by changing the template on which film growth occurred. The Cu microstructure was further altered by post-deposition annealing. The flow stress shows little dependence on the film texture in the as-deposited state. However, annealing influences the flow stress of confined Cu films significantly. The implications on strain gradient plasticity models are discussed.

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Acknowledgment

Partial project supports from NSF OIA-1541079 and LA BoR LEQSF(2013-16)-RD-B-01 are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, USA

    Yang Mu & Xiaoman Zhang

  2. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

    J. W. Hutchinson

  3. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, USA

    W. J. Meng

Authors
  1. Yang Mu
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  2. Xiaoman Zhang
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  3. J. W. Hutchinson
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  4. W. J. Meng
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Correspondence to W. J. Meng.

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Mu, Y., Zhang, X., Hutchinson, J.W. et al. Dependence of confined plastic flow of polycrystalline Cu thin films on microstructure. MRS Communications 6, 289–294 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2016.20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2016.20

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