Abnormalities associated with grain growth in solid solution Cu(Ni) thin films

•Cu80Ni20 solid solution films were sputter-deposited onto silicon nitride TEM windows.•These alloy thin films were in situ annealed within the TEM.•Grain boundary motion was quantified using precession-enhanced diffraction.•Particular grains grew at a faster rate than the others, as compared to pure Cu.•Σ9 boundaries outlined the largely growing grains within the films.

A sputter-deposited 80Cu20Ni (at.%) solid solution film was heated in situ using a step-wise annealing schedule within a transmission electron microscope to observe the grain boundary character evolution associated with grain growth. The grain size distribution broadened with increasing temperature with a corresponding increase in the Σ9 and Σ11 boundary fraction. Particular grains grew at a faster rate than others, as compared to a Cu film, and are attributed to Ni segregation to the grain boundaries.