Fabrication and plastic deformation of sub-micron cadmium structures

Sub-micron-scale columnar cadmium structures were tested in uniaxial compression. Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction analysis indicated that the cadmium pillars are virtually single crystalline. Compression results revealed that the mechanical strength of small-scale cadmium is strain rate sensitive and size dependent. Specimens with diameters near 0.5 and 1.1 μm are slightly stronger than bulk. However, as the cadmium structure size reduces to near 0.1 μm, the mechanical strengths exceed ∼1 GPa, approaching the theoretical strength of cadmium.