The results were reported of large-scale molecular-dynamics simulations of dynamic deformation under biaxial tensile strain of pre-strained single-crystalline nanometer-scale-thick face-centered cubic copper films. The results showed that stacking faults, which were abundantly present in face-centered cubic metals, may play a significant role in the dissociation, cross slip, and eventual annihilation of dislocations in small-volume structures of face-centered cubic metals. The underlying mechanisms were mediated by interactions within and between extended dislocations that lead to annihilation of Shockley partial dislocations or formation of perfect dislocations. The findings demonstrate dislocation starvation in small-volume structures with ultrathin film geometry, governed by a mechanism other than dislocation escape to free surfaces, and underline the significant role of geometry in determining the mechanical response of metallic small-volume structures.

Molecular-Dynamics Simulations of Stacking-Fault-Induced Dislocation Annihilation in Prestrained Ultrathin Single-Crystalline Copper Films. K.Kolluri, M.R.Gungor, D.Maroudas: Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, 105[9], 093515