Lian Jianshe

Dislocation-mediated creep process in nanocrystalline Cu

Nanocrystalline Cu with average grain sizes ranging from ~ 24.4 to 131.3 nm were prepared by the electric brush-plating technique. Nanoindentation tests were performed within a wide strain rate range, and the creep process of nanocrystalline Cu during the holding period and its relationship to dislocation and twin structures were examined. It was demonstrated that creep strain and creep strain rate are considerably significant for smaller grain sizes and higher loading strain rates, and are far higher than those predicted by the models of Cobble creep and grain boundary sliding. The analysis based on the calculations and experiments reveals that the significant creep deformation arises from the rapid absorption of high density dislocations stored in the loading regime. Our experiments imply that stored dislocations during loading are highly unstable and dislocation activity can proceed and lead to significant post-loading plasticity.

Residual stress induced wetting variation on electric brush-plated Cu film

Nanocrystalline Cu film with a mirror surface finishing is prepared by the electric brush-plating technique. The as-prepared Cu film exhibits a superhydrophilic behavior with an apparent water contact angle smaller than 10°. A subsequent increase in the water contact angle and a final wetting transition from inherent hydrophilicity with water contact angle smaller than 90° to apparent hydrophobicity with water contact angle larger than 90° are observed when the Cu film is subjected to natural aging. Analysis based on the measurement of hardness with nanoindentation and the theory of the bond-order-length-strength correlation reveals that this wetting variation on the Cu film is attributed to the relaxation of residual stress generated during brush-plating deposition and a surface hydrophobization role associated with the broken bond polarization induced by surface nanostructure.