Interaction of Lomer–Cottrell locks with screw dislocations

In fcc crystals, dislocations are dissociated into partial dislocations and, therefore, restricted to move on {111} glide planes. By junction reactions with dislocations on two intersecting {111} planes, Lomer–Cottrell dislocations along ?110? directions can be formed which are barriers for approaching screw dislocations. Treating the interaction between a dissociated screw dislocation and a LC lock conventionally, using classical continuum theory and assuming the partials to be Volterra dislocations, leads to erroneous conclusions. A realistic result can only be obtained in the framework of the Peierls model, treating the partials as Peierls dislocations and explicitly taking account of the change in atomic misfit energy in the glide plane. At even moderate stresses (at less than 3 × 10^?3 µ in Cu), the screw will combine with the LC lock to form a Hirth lock. As a result, the nature of the repulsive force will change drastically.     

Explicit incorporation of cross-slip in a dislocation density-based crystal plasticity model

We present a crystal plasticity model that incorporates cross-slip of screw dislocations explicitly based on dislocation densities. The residence plane of screw dislocations is determined based on a probability function defined by activation energy and activation volume of cross-slip. This enables the redistribution of screw-dislocations and dislocation density patterning due to the effect of stacking fault energy. The formulation is employed for explaining the cross-slip phenomenon in aluminium during uniaxial tensile deformation of ?100? single crystal and a single slip orientation of single crystal, and compare the results with experimental observations. The effect of cross-slip on the stress–strain evolution is seen using this explicit treatment of cross-slip.     

High-resolution observation of basal-plane C-core edge dislocations in 4H–SiC crystal by transmission electron microscopy

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze basal-plane dislocations, which display very characteristic contrasts in grazing incidence monochromatic X-ray topographic images, on the Si-face of 4H–SiC. Grazing incidence monochromatic synchrotron X-ray topography, which is a lattice defect observational technique, has been used in power devices made from 4H–SiC. This technique is useful in analyzing lattice defects near the surface but without the contrast of high-density lattice defects inside the wafer. Basal-plane dislocations exhibit several distinct types of contrast: dark, bright, asymmetric dark/bright and intermediate contrast. Dark and bright contrast areas have been reported to be the edge dislocation regions of basal-plane dislocations. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the dark contrast regions are edge dislocations with extra half-planes on the surface side, i.e. Si-core edge dislocations, or those with extra half planes on the deeper crystal side, namely C-core edge dislocations on the Si-face. In this paper, basal-plane dislocations with dark contrast edge dislocations in grazing incidence X-ray topographic images around the (0001) surface were observed via high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and it was determined that the extra half planes are located on the deeper side against the Si-face. This indicates that the dark contrast edge dislocations are those with a C-core structure on the Si-face. This conclusion is important in establishing the analytical procedure for dislocation contrast in grazing incidence monochromatic X-ray topography on Si face images.     

Recovery mechanisms in nanostructured aluminium

Commercial purity aluminium (99.5%) has been cold rolled to a true strain of 5.5 (99.6% reduction in thickness). The material is very strong but low temperature recovery may be a limiting factor. This has been investigated by isothermal annealing treatments in the temperature range 5–100°C. Hardness tests, microstructural investigations by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were carried out to identify and characterise possible recovery mechanisms. Annihilation of zigzagged dislocations, positioned between deformation-induced lamellar boundaries of medium-to-high angles, and annihilation of dislocations in boundaries were found to be important recovery mechanisms, whereas other mechanisms, such as triple junction motion, subgrain coalescence, and boundary migration, were less important or negligible. The recovery kinetics was analysed based on hardness data, showing that the apparent activation energy for recovery at low temperatures was 60–86?kJ?mol^?1, consistent with thermally activated glide of jogged interior dislocations and the climb of dislocations in boundaries. These mechanisms are restricted by the presence of small intermetallic particles, which pin dislocations and boundaries and thereby raise the stability of the heavily deformed material.     

Second-phase nucleation on an edge dislocation

A model for nucleation of second phase at or around a dislocation in a crystalline solid is considered. The model employs the Ginzburg–Landau theory of phase transitions comprising the sextic term in the order parameter (η⁶) in the Landau free energy. The ground state solution of the linearised time-independent Ginzburg–Landau equation is derived, through which the spatial variation of the order parameter is delineated. Moreover, a generic phase diagram indicating tricritical behaviour near and away from the dislocation is depicted. The relation between classical nucleation theory and the Ginzburg–Landau approach is discussed, for which the critical formation energy of the nucleus is related to the maximum of the Landau potential energy. A numerical example illustrating the application of the model to the case of nucleation of hydrides in zirconium alloys is provided.     

A discrete dislocation plasticity analysis of a single-crystal semi-infinite medium indented by a rigid surface exhibiting multi-scale roughness

Discrete dislocation plasticity was used to analyse plane-strain indentation of a single-crystal elastic–plastic semi-infinite medium by a rigid surface exhibiting multi-scale roughness, characterised by self-affine (fractal) behaviour. Constitutive rules of dislocation emission, glide and annihilation were used to model short-range dislocation interactions. Dislocation multiplication and the development of subsurface shear stresses due to asperity microcontacts forming between a single-crystal medium and a rough surface were examined in terms of surface roughness and topography (fractal) parameters, slip-plane direction and spacing, dislocation source density, and contact load (surface interference). The effect of multi-scale interactions between asperity microcontacts on plasticity is elucidated in light of results showing the evolution of dislocation structures. Numerical solutions yield insight into plastic flow of crystalline materials in normal contact with surfaces exhibiting multi-scale roughness.     

Analysis of contrasts and identifications of Burgers vectors for basal-plane dislocations and threading edge dislocations in 4H-SiC crystals observed by monochromatic synchrotron X-ray topography in grazing-incidence Bragg-case geometry

Contrasts of dislocations in the sub-surface region of the Si-face of a 4H-SiC wafer were observed by monochromatic synchrotron X-ray topography in grazing-incidence Bragg-case geometry. Basal-plane dislocations show very characteristic contrast depending on their Burgers vectors, running directions, and types of dislocations, whether they are screw dislocations, C-core edge dislocations, or Si-core edge dislocations. The rules for contrasts of basal-plane dislocations are summarized. It is shown that by observing those contrasts at fixed diffraction conditions, Burgers vectors of the basal-plane dislocation can be identified without performing a g?·?b analysis in some cases. Threading edge dislocations also have very characteristic contrasts depending on the angles between the projected g and their Burgers vectors. It is shown that Burgers vectors of threading edge dislocations can be determined uniquely by observing their characteristic contrasts without performing g?·?b analysis. Contrast mechanisms for these dislocations in grazing-incidence X-ray topography are discussed.     

Reprise: partial chemical strain dislocations and their role in pinning dislocations to their atmospheres

A correct solution for a dislocation atmosphere is provided using Hirth's Standard Model, confirming the errors in Hirth and Lothe. Contrary to what is given there, concentration changes in Cottrell atmospheres reduce an edge dislocation's stress and its elastic energy, thereby reducing the magnitude of the concentration changes. The chemical and elastic strain fields from Cottrell atmospheres are again shown to behave as partial dislocations with variable Burgers vectors that are not crystal translation vectors. The reality of partial dislocations provides a simpler explanation for pinning of dislocations by atmospheres. Much of the literature on dislocation properties in solid solutions should be re-examined.     

Coherency strain and precipitation kinetics: crystalline and amorphous nitride formation in ternary Fe–Ti/Cr/V–Si alloys

Specimens of iron-based binary Fe–Si alloy and ternary Fe–Me–Si alloys (with Me = Ti, Cr and V) were nitrided at 580 °C in a NH₃/H₂-gas mixture applying a nitriding potential of 0.1 atm^?1/2 until nitrogen saturation in the specimens was attained. In contrast with recent observations in other Fe–Me ₁–Me ₂ alloys, no “mixed” (Me ₁, Me ₂) nitrides developed in Fe–Me–Si alloys upon nitriding: first, all Me precipitates as MeN; and thereafter, all Si precipitates as Si₃N₄. The MeN precipitates as crystalline, finely dispersed, nanosized platelets, obeying a Baker–Nutting orientation relationship (OR) with respect to the ferrite matrix. The Si₃N₄ precipitates as cubically, amorphous particles; the incoherent (part of the) MeN/α-Fe interface acts as heterogeneous nucleation site for Si₃N₄. The Si₃N₄-precipitation rate was found to be strongly dependent on the degree of coherency of the first precipitating MeN. The different, even opposite, kinetic effects observed for the various Fe–Me–Si alloys could be ascribed to the different time dependences of the coherent?→?incoherent transitions of the MeN particles in the different Fe–Me–Si alloys.