Direct dynamic atomic mechanisms of strain-induced grain rotation in nanocrystalline, textured, columnar-structured thin gold films

A thin film tensile technique with in situ atomic-scale observations was developed to directly characterize the atomic-scale plastic deformation mechanisms and fracture process of nanocrystalline gold thin films. The grain rotation accompanying the tensile fracture processes was studied at the atomic scale. Grain boundary disclination nucleation for accommodating inter-grain rotation plasticity was directly dynamically observed in situ. These results appear to support the concept of nucleation, growth and mobilization of disclinations for nanocrystalline plasticity by grain rotations.