Elastic strain mapping of plastically deformed materials by TEM.

A method for mapping elastic strains by TEM in plastically deformed materials is presented. A characteristic feature of plastically deformed materials, which cannot be handled by standard strain measurement method, is the presence of orientation gradients. To circumvent this issue, we couple orientation and strain maps obtained from scanning precession electron diffraction datasets.

Size-induced twinning in InSb semiconductor during room temperature deformation.

Room-temperature deformation mechanism of InSb micro-pillars has been investigated via a multi-scale experimental approach, where micro-pillars of 2 µm and 5 µm in diameter were first fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) milling and in situ deformed in the FIB-SEM by micro-compression using a nano-indenter equipped with a flat tip. Strain rate jumps have been performed to determine the strain rate sensitivity coefficient and the related activation volume. The activation volume is found to be of the order of 3-5 b, considering that plasticity is mediated by Shockley partial dislocations.