In Situ Study of Deformation Twinning and Detwinning in Helium Irradiated Small-Volume Copper

The influence of nanoscale helium bubbles on the deformation twinning and detwinning behavior of submicron-sized Cu is investigated under tension, compression, and cyclic loading. In situ nanomechanical tests performed inside a transmission electron microscope reveal that twinning and detwinning occur readily in helium irradiated copper under both tension and compression. Continuous shearing of helium bubbles by Shockley partials leads to twin formation, whereas the residual back-stress accumulated from dislocation-bubble interactions assist in detwinning. These interactions also elevate the critical shear stress for partial dislocation slip in helium irradiated Cu compared to that in fully dense Cu. The growth twin boundaries can significantly enhance the twinning stress in helium irradiated Cu pillar, and deformation twin-growth twin boundary interaction promotes the formation of internal crack and thus accelerates failure. The effect of crystallographic orientation and sample size on the overall deformation characteristics of helium irradiated Cu is briefly discussed. The current studies show that deformation twinning and detwinning are also active deformation models in helium irradiated small-volume copper.