Tensile deformation of electroplated copper nanopillars

The results are presented of uniaxial tensile testing of single crystalline electroplated copper nanopillars with diameters between 75 nm and 165 nm fabricated without the use of a focused ion beam (FIB). The experiments were performed in an in situ nanomechanical instrument, SEMentor, and reveal that the pillars’ ultimate tensile strengths follow a similar power law dependence on diameter as reported for microcompression studies on fcc metals fabricated with and without FIB. Further, these pillars are characterized by limited or non-existent initial homogeneous deformation, immediately followed by necking in the top portion of the pillar. The particular deformation attributes are discussed in the context of hardening by dislocation starvation. Site-specific transmission electron microscopy microstructural analysis of as-fabricated nanopillars indicates the presence of scarce twin boundaries in some specimens. We comment on the potential for mechanical effects due to the presence of twins.