Topological view of the thermal stability of nanotwinned copper

Sputter deposited nanotwinned copper (nt-Cu) foils typically exhibit strong {111} fiber textures and have grain boundary networks (GBN) consisting of high-angle and a small fraction of low-angle columnar boundaries interspersed with crystallographically special boundaries. Using a transmission electron microscope based orientation mapping system with sub-nanometer resolution, we have statistically analyzed the GBN in as-deposited and annealed nt-Cu foils. From the observed grain boundary characteristics and network evolution during thermal annealing, we infer that triple junctions are ineffective pinning sites and that the microstructure readily coarsens through thermal-activated motion of incoherent twin segments followed by lateral motion of high-angle columnar boundaries.