Faceting–roughening transition of a Cu grain boundary under electron-beam irradiation at 300 keV

Abstract

In this study, we examined the beam-irradiation effect on the structural evolution of the grain boundary (GB) in a Cu bicrystal at room temperature using a Cs-corrected, monochromated transmission electron microscope at an acceleration voltage of 300 keV. Faceting of the GB was observed at a low current density of the electron beam. With increasing current density, the GB became defaceted. The faceting–roughening transition was shown to be reversible, as the process was reversed upon decreasing the current density. The structural transition is explained by inelastic scattering effects by electron-beam irradiation.