Twin boundaries were high symmetry interfaces in crystalline solids such as nanowires. Nevertheless, as interfaces, twin boundaries interrupt dislocation glide and affect the mechanical properties of crystalline nanowires. To take full advantage of this effect, it was desirable to introduce twin boundaries in a controllable fashion. This paper reviews various ways of introducing twin boundaries, with particular emphasis on the new approach of combining mechanical torsion and local heating.

Twin Boundaries in Nanowires - Controllable Introduction. H.Huang: JOM Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 2011, 63[9], 58-61