Finite-size effects on the structure of grain boundaries

We present a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of the structure of finite-sized Sigma 3 [112] grain boundaries in Au. High-resolution electron microscopy shows lattice translations at the grain boundary, with the magnitude of the translation varying along the finite-sized grain boundaries. The presence of this structural profile is explained using continuum elasticity theory and first-principles calculations as originating from a competition between elastic energy and the energy cost of forming continuous [111] planes across the boundary. This competition leads to a structural transition between offset-free and nontrivial grain boundary structures at a critical grain boundary size, in agreement with the experiments. We also provide a method to estimate the energy barrier of the gamma surface.     

Grain Boundary Migration in Fe-3wt.%Si Alloys

The studies of three different laboratories on grain boundary migration in Fe-3wt.%Si alloys are presented. In all cases bicrystal techniques employing capillarity as driving force were used. [100] tilt boundaries were studied in the temperature range from 1223 K to 1373 K, and [110] tilt boundaries in the range from 1220 K to 1625 K. Proportionality between grain boundary velocity and driving force was confirmed. All data fulfil a linear relation between activation enthalpies and logarithms of the pre-exponential factors, corresponding to a compensation temperature of 1386 K where all boundaries theoretically should possess the same mobility. A considerably lower activation enthalpy was found in one case for an asymmetrical grain boundary compared to the symmetrical boundary of the same misorientation. High values of activation enthalpy of migration were found for special [100] boundaries compared to general ones although an opposite tendency was also observed for [100] boundaries.     

Non-planar grain boundary structures in fcc metals and their role in nano-scale deformation mechanisms

This work presents the results of a comparative molecular dynamics study showing that relaxed random grain boundary structures can be significantly non-planar at the nano-scale in fcc metals characterized by low stacking fault values. We studied the relaxed structures of random [1?1?0] tilt boundaries in a polycrystal using interatomic potentials describing Cu and Pd. Grain boundaries presenting non-planar features were observed predominantly for the Cu potential but not for the Pd potential, and we relate these differences to the stacking fault values. We also show that these non-planar structures can have a strong influence on dislocation emission from the grain boundaries as well as on grain boundary strain accommodation processes, such as grain boundary sliding. We studied the loading response in polycrystals of 40 nm grain size to a level of 9% strain and found that the non-planar grain boundaries favour dislocation emission as a deformation mechanism and hinder grain boundary sliding. This has strong implications for the mechanical behaviour of nano-crystalline materials, which is determined by the competition between dislocation activity and grain boundary accommodation of the strain. Thus, the two interatomic potentials for Cu and Pd considered in this work resulted in the same overall stress–strain curve, but significantly different fractions of the strain accommodated by the intergranular versus intragranular deformation mechanisms. Strain localization patterns are also influenced by the non-planarity of the grain boundary structures.     

Superfluidity of grain boundaries in solid 4He

By large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations we show that grain boundaries in 4He crystals are generically superfluid at low temperature, with a transition temperature of the order of approximately 0.5 K at the melting pressure; nonsuperfluid grain boundaries are found only for special orientations of the grains. We also find that close vicinity to the melting line is not a necessary condition for superfluid grain boundaries, and a grain boundary in direct contact with the superfluid liquid at the melting curve is found to be mechanically stable and the grain-boundary superfluidity observed by Sasaki et al. [Science 313, 1098 (2006)10.1126/science.1130879] is not just a crack filled with superfluid.     

纯铜[0 1 1]倾侧型非共格∑3晶界结构稳定性分子动力学模拟研究

有研究表明, 非共格∑₃晶界的行为在中低层错能面心立方金属晶界 特征分布演化中发挥着重要作用. 为了掌握不同界面匹配的非共格∑₃晶界的特性, 本文利用分子动力学(MD)模拟方法首先研究了纯铜的[0 1 1]倾侧型 非共格∑₃晶界在700–1100 K温度范围内和常压下的结构稳定性. MD模拟采用原子间相互作用长程经验多体势, 步长为5×10^-15 s. 模拟结果表明: 所研究的五个非共格∑₃晶界, 其结构稳定性存在很大差异, 其一般规律是, 与(1 1 1)/(1 1 1)共格孪晶界之间的夹角(Φ角)越小, 晶界匹配值越大, 则非共格∑₃晶界越稳定; 反之亦然. Φ角最小的 (2 5 5)/(2 1 1)非共格∑₃晶界较稳定, 在退火过程中几乎不发生变化. 随着Φ角的增大, 非共格∑₃晶界不再稳定, 这类晶界会通过Miller指数较高一侧晶体每三层原子面合并为一层原子面 (或Miller指数较低一侧晶体每一层原子面分解为三层原子面)的机理 转变为亚稳的“台阶”状晶界, 台阶面部分地处于精确的能量极低 的{111}/{111}共格孪晶界上; 当提高温度退火时, 这种“台阶”状晶界最终会全部转变成稳定平直的{111}/{111}共格孪晶界. 关键词： 纯铜 ∑₃晶界')" href="#">非共格∑₃晶界 分子动力学模拟     

Low-temperature resistance anomaly at SrTiO3 grain boundaries: evidence for an interface-induced phase transition

Variable temperature transport between 1.4 and 300 K, structural imaging, and theoretical calculations were used to characterize the properties of electrically active 24 degrees and 36.8 degrees [001] tilt SrTiO3 grain boundaries with 0.1 at. % niobium doping. An anomaly in boundary resistance and capacitance characteristics typical of a positive temperature coefficient effect is observed. This behavior is indicative of interface-induced dipole ordering. The detailed atomic structures of these grain boundaries were determined from a comparison of ab initio calculations and Z-contrast TEM images. The number of excess electrons at the boundaries determined experimentally and theoretically agrees and is associated with the boundary structural units.     

氦泡在bcc钨中晶界处成核长大的分子动力学模拟

钨(W)是潜在的聚变堆面向等离子体材料.聚变反应中产生的氦(He)不溶于金属W,并在其中易聚集形成He泡,使W基体发生脆化,从而导致W基体的性能发生退化.在前人工作的基础上,本文采用分子动力学研究了He泡在单晶bcc-W中以及bcc-W中∑3[211](110)和∑9[110](411)晶界处He泡形核长大初期的演化过程.结果发现,晶界处He泡的长大机制和单晶W中有所不同.单晶W中He泡通过挤出位错环促进长大.而He泡在∑3[211](110)晶界处的长大机制为:首先挤出并发射少量自间隙W原子,而后挤出1/2⟨111⟩位错线,随后,该位错线会沿晶界面上[111]方向迁移出去;在∑9[110](411)晶界处,He泡在我们的模拟时间尺度范围内没有观察到W自间隙子的发射和位错的挤出.     

Effects of boundary inclination and boundary type on shear-driven grain boundary migration

A series of molecular dynamics simulations was performed on a bicrystal to which a fixed shear rate was applied parallel to the boundary plane. Under some conditions, grain boundary motion is coupled to the relative tangential motion of the two grains. In order to investigate the generality of this type of coupled shear/boundary motion, simulations were performed for both special (low Σ) and general (non-Σ) [010] tilt boundaries over a wide range of grain boundary inclinations. The data point to the existence of two critical stresses: one for coupled shear/boundary motion and the other for grain boundary sliding. For the non-Σ boundaries, the critical stress for coupled shear/boundary motion is typically smaller than that for sliding; coupled shear/boundary motion occurs for all inclinations. For Σ5 boundaries, for which the critical stress is smaller and depends on boundary inclination, coupled shear/boundary motion occurs for some, but not all inclinations.     

The microstructure of hydrogen- and deuterium-doped nanocrystalline palladium studied by small-angle neutron scattering

By means of small-angle neutron scattering the microstructure of two nanocrystalline Pd samples (prepared by inert gas condensation) has been studied at room temperature in a Q-range from [0pt] to [0pt] . An additional subsequent doping of the two samples with H as well as with D (concentrations < 4 at%) caused contrast variations that provided more detailed structural information. The measured scattering intensity was modeled by a Porod contribution from large heterogenities (e.g. pores) and a contribution from spherical grains with a log-normal distribution of their radii. To account for the presence of grain boundaries, the grains were considered to be surrounded by a shell with a reduced Pd density and a thickness half as large as the thickness of the grain boundaries. For the above model, the data of the H-doped, D-doped and undoped sample were simultaneously fitted with one single set of adjustable parameters. The fits yielded for the two samples volume-weighted mean grain radii of 10 nm and 13 nm. The values for the grain boundary thickness lie between 0.2 and 0.8 nm. Almost all of the H- and D-atoms are, at low hydrogen concentrations, located in the grain boundaries. Received 1 May 2000     

Segregation, Precipitation and Wetting of Tilt Grain Boundaries in Molybdenum

The intrinsic structure of different tilt grain boundaries in bcc molybdenum is determined by electron microscopy and compared to the ones obtained after an annealing treatment of the same boundaries in presence of different impurities like carbon and nickel. Specially grown bicrystals with tilt axes parallel to [001] and [011] are used. The boundaries correspond to the major coincidence relationships ∑ = 5, ∑ = 3 and ∑ = 11. Their experimental atomic structure is compared to calculated ones. After the treatments in presence of carbon or nickel the new structure is determined by electron microscopy from the structural and chemical aspect. After a treatment in presence of carbon the ∑ = 5[001]{310} boundary contains either a segregation or a very thin precipitate layer of a new MoCx quadratic phase. In presence of nickel, the physical phenomenon is possibly a wetting of the boundary. The different [011] tilt boundaries have a different behavior according to their respective energy.     

稀土La在$lt;em$gt;α$lt;/em$gt;-Fe中占位倾向及对晶界影响的第一性原理研究

本文采用重合位置点阵理论构建了 α-Fe的Σ3[110]（112）对称倾转晶界模型,通过基于密度泛函理论的平面波超软赝势方法研究了稀土La元素在 α-Fe中的占位倾向. 结果表明,La在 α-Fe晶界的杂质形成能最低,因而La原子倾向于占据晶界区;掺杂La前后的 α-Fe晶界电子结构计算结果显示,La占位于 α-Fe晶界会使体系中的电荷发生重新分配,将提供更多电子用于晶界区成键,使得Fe原子得到更多的电子,这将导致掺杂区原子间结合有离子化趋势,从而使La与晶界区相邻Fe原子之间的相互作用加强,也使晶界原子与晶界两侧Fe原子的键合加强,从能量角度解释了材料宏观力学性能变化的原因;计算同时发现,La加入后,也使晶界上的原子成键区态密度左移,降低了体系的总能量,使晶界结构更为稳定. 关键词： La α-Fe')" href="#">α-Fe 晶界 第一性原理     

Coupled motion of [10−10] tilt boundaries in magnesium bicrystals

Magnesium bicrystals were grown with symmetric and asymmetric tilt boundaries about the [10–10] axis using the vertical Bridgman technique. Isothermal constant load tensile tests were conducted on these bicrystals in the temperature range 300–500°C and relative displacements of the two grains were measured to obtain an appreciation for grain boundary motion characteristics. Coupled grain boundary motion was noted in almost all cases with the degree of tangential motion versus migration changing with tilt misorientation, temperature and applied stress. Specifically, within the family of symmetric bicrystals evaluated, a minimum in grain boundary displacement in the specimen plane was observed at a tilt misorientation of 20°. In specific stress/temperature regimes, rigid body sliding was observed for the particular case of a 35° asymmetric tilt misorientation. The ease of basal and prism slip in magnesium at the temperatures considered and the consequential impingement of intragranular dislocations on the bicrystal boundary and their decomposition and motion along the boundary are thought to play an important role in the observed coupled motion of these tilt boundaries.     

Grain Boundary Resistivity and Electrically Induced Grain Boundary Migration (EIGM) in Metallic Bamboo Microstructures

As VLSI conductor line dimensions continue to decrease, electrotransport properties increasingly effect device lifetimes. Grain boundaries are intimately linked to these processes, providing paths of varying diffusivity, and as mobile defects themselves. Haessner et al. [6] make a challenging finding in experiments with thin gold films: based on calorimetric data, in order to account for the velocity of grain boundaries migrating in high electric current densities, the force on the atoms of a grain boundary would have to be two orders of magnitude larger than what the accepted theory for bulk ions predicts. The failure is attributed to the simplicity of the model which does not account for possible variations of the resistivity and effective valance charge that could occur in the vicinity of a grain boundary. In this paper, expressions are developed for the electron wind force on the atoms near grain boundaries, and they are written in terms of thermodynamic variables: the boundary specific volume expansion and specific resistivity. The enhancement of the wind force of the boundary atoms over the bulk wind force is calculated using published data. This model allows for more than an order of magnitude enhancement in gold, and Haessner's observation is rationalized.     

Effect of grain boundary structures on the behavior of He defects in Ni: An atomistic study

We investigated the effect of grain boundary structures on the trapping strength of He_N(N is the number of helium atoms) defects in the grain boundaries of nickel. The results suggest that the binding energy of an interstitial helium atom to the grain boundary plane is the strongest among all sites around the plane. The He_N defect is much more stable in nickel bulk than in the grain boundary plane. Besides, the binding energy of an interstitial helium atom to a vacancy is stronger than that to a grain boundary plane. The binding strength between the grain boundary and the He _N defect increases with the defect size. Moreover, the binding strength of the He_N defect to the Σ3(12)[110] grain boundary becomes much weaker than that to other grain boundaries as the defect size increases.     

Effect of secondary relaxations on diffraction from high-Σ [001] twist boundaries

The types of diffraction effects which may be expected from secondary relaxations in high-Σ [001] twist boundaries are calculated and discussed. An idealized two-plane model is used which incorporates secondary relaxations by rotating patches of boundary about coincident site lattice elements normal to the boundary. Local relaxations within the patches are also employed using rotational relaxations about local O-lattice elements in a manner consistent with earlier results. The main effect of secondary relaxations is the splitting of grain boundary reflections into small clusters which fall on a “grain boundary dislocation lattice”. This localized splitting is significant only when the deviation of the boundary from a nearby low-Σ misorientation becomes sufficiently large. Under these circumstances a noticeable distortion of the diffraction pattern can also occur. The results are compared with some X-ray diffraction observations from twist boundaries in gold.     

用内耗方法研究铜的蠕变断裂过程

在文献[1]关于工业纯铝研究的基础上,研究了工业纯铜在不同条件下蠕变过程中晶界内耗峰的变化,蠕变条件分为三类:(a)较高温度、较低应力;(b)中等温度、中等应力;(c)较低温度、较高应力;使试样分别发生晶间型、混合型和穿晶型的断裂。由晶界内耗峰的变化可以推知:在较高温度、较低应力的蠕变过程中,晶界强度变化不大;在中等温度、中等应力的蠕变过程中,晶界强度有一定程度的提高;在较低温度、较高应力的蠕变过程中,晶界强度则有比较显著的提高。这说明,在蠕变过程中,晶界强度是变化着的,在不同的蠕变条件下,晶界强化的程度不同,最终导致了不同类型的蠕变断裂。这对于“等强温度”概念是一个修正和补充。 关键词：     

Critical current of YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) low-angle grain boundaries

Transport critical current measurements have been performed on 5 degrees [001]-tilt thin film YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) single grain boundaries with the magnetic field rotated in the plane of the film, phi. The variation of the critical current has been determined as a function of the angle between the magnetic field and the grain boundary plane. In applied fields above 1 T the critical current j(c) is found to be strongly suppressed only when the magnetic field is within an angle phi(k) of the grain boundary. Outside this angular range the behavior of the artificial grain boundary is dominated by the critical current of the grains. We show that the phi dependence of j(c) in the suppressed region is well described by a flux cutting model.     

Correlation among grain boundary character,carbide precipitation and deformation in Alloy 690

The correlation among grain boundary character, carbide precipitation and deformation in the grain boundary engineering (GBE) treated Alloy 690 samples with and without pre-deformation aged at 715^oC for 15?h was analysed by scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. The fraction of low Σ coincidence site lattice (CSL) grain boundary was enhanced by GBE treatment. The fraction of Σ3 grain boundary decreased, and most of Σ9 and Σ27 grain boundaries disappeared in the deformed GBE samples. After aging treatment, bigger carbide precipitated at coherent Σ3 grain boundary, however, most of plate-like carbide precipitated at incoherent Σ3 grain boundary disappeared in the pre-deformed GBE samples. The larger carbide precipitated on the random grain boundary in the 5% pre-deformed sample, while smaller carbide can be observed in the 15% pre-deformed sample. During the in situ tensile test of the aged GBE samples, grain boundary carbide migrated with the grain boundary migration. The slip bands go across Σ3 grain boundary directly, but cannot go across other grain boundaries. The high density of carbide plate precipitated near incoherent Σ3 and Σ9 grain boundaries can resist the evolution of slip bands. Compared to the Σ3 and Σ9 grain boundaries, Σ27 and random grain boundaries are more easily to form microcrack during deformation. The initiation of grain boundary microcrack not only related to the character of grain boundary but also related to the character of nearby grain boundaries. The phase interface of carbide and matrix is another region to initiate the microcrack.