Room-temperature dislocation climb in metallic interfaces

Using atomistic simulations, we show that dislocations efficiently climb in metallic interfaces, such as Cu–Nb, through absorption and emission of vacancies and a counter diffusion of Cu atoms in the interfacial plane. The efficiency of dislocation climb is ascribed to the high vacancy concentration of 0.05 in the interfacial plane, the low formation energy of 0.12 eV with respect to removal or insertion of Cu atoms, and the low kinetic barrier of 0.10 eV for vacancy migration. Dislocation climb facilitates reactions of interfacial dislocations and enables interfaces to be in the equilibrium state with respect to concentrations of point defects.