Tensile test of an Al nanowire using in-situ transmission electron microscopy and its dynamic deformation behavior

Abstract

Both the deformation behaviors and the associated structural evolution of an Al nanowire were observed by conducting tensile testing in TEM. The Al nanowire exhibited a strength close to the theoretical value and a substantial elastic limit of ~5%. Different from bulk-forms of Al, the Al nanowire did not exhibit any quantifiable plastic strain and failed in a brittle manner. This behavior was related to the formation of deformation twins that interlock. Comparative studies were also performed using an Au nanowire to elucidate the effect that the magnitude of the stacking fault energy (SFE) has on the formation of the deformation twins and plasticity.