Jennings A.T., Burek M.J., Greer J.R. Microstructure versus Size: Mechanical Properties of Electroplated Single Crystalline Cu Nanopillars

Article. Physical Review Letters 104, 135503 (2010), pp. 4.
We report results of uniaxial compression experiments on single-crystalline Cu nanopillars with nonzero initial dislocation densities produced without focused ion beam (FIB). Remarkably, we find the same power-law size-driven strengthening as FIB-fabricated face-centered cubic micropillars. TEM analysis reveals that initial dislocation density in our FIB-less pillars and those produced by FIB are on the order of 1014 m 2 suggesting that mechanical response of nanoscale crystals is a stronger function of initial microstructure than of size regardless of fabrication method.