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Advances in transmission electron microscopy: In situ straining and in situ compression experiments on metallic glasses
Author(s) -
De Hosson Jeff Th.M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20678
Subject(s) - in situ , transmission electron microscopy , materials science , electron microscope , compression (physics) , metal , optics , nanotechnology , composite material , metallurgy , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry
In the field of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fundamental and practical reasons still remain that hamper a straightforward correlation between microscopic structural information and deformation mechanisms in materials. In this article, it is argued that one should focus in particular on in situ rather than on postmortem observations of the microstructure. This viewpoint has been exemplified with in situ straining and in situ compression studies on metallic glasses. In situ TEM straining of amorphous metals permits an evaluation of the thickness of the liquid‐like layer (LLL) formed because of heat evolution after shear band development. The experimental evaluation confirms that the thickness of a LLL present at the last moment of fracture substantially exceeds the generally accepted thickness of a shear band. In situ TEM and in situ SEM compression experiments on metallic glass pillars lead to the conclusion that smaller sized pillars deform more homogeneously than larger sized pillars. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.