The plastic deformation kinetics of electrodeposited Cu foils with a grain size of 0.6μm were determined at 293 to 448K, with and without a concurrent electrostatic field of 2.5kV/cm, and were compared with those of vapour-deposited foils tested at 77 to 473K without any field. The electric field produced a 20 to 25% decrease in the flow stress of the electrodeposited Cu. The apparent activation volume, both with and without an electric field, exhibited a minimum at 350 to 375K. The strain-rate controlling mechanism below 350K was concluded to be grain boundary shear which was promoted by the piling-up of dislocations at grain boundaries. At 373 to 473K, the strain-rate controlling mechanism was concluded to be the intersection of dislocations. The main effect of the electric field was to produce a reduction in the dislocation density produced by straining, and this was related to the electric charge density at the specimen surface.

Effect of an Electric Field on the Plastic Deformation Kinetics of Electrodeposited Cu at Low and Intermediate Temperatures. H.Conrad, D.Yang: Acta Materialia, 2002, 50[11], 2851-66