DOI: 10.1126/science.1160777. Observation of Atomic Diffusion at Twin-Modified Grain Boundaries in Copper

Observation of Atomic Diffusion at Twin-Modified Grain Boundaries in Copper

10.1126/science.1160777

Crossref journal-article

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Science (221)

Abstract

Grain boundaries affect the migration of atoms and electrons in polycrystalline solids, thus influencing many of the mechanical and electrical properties. By introducing nanometer-scale twin defects into copper grains, we show that we can change the grain-boundary structure and atomic-diffusion behavior along the boundary. Using in situ ultrahigh-vacuum and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, we observed electromigration-induced atomic diffusion in the twin-modified grain boundaries. The triple point where a twin boundary meets a grain boundary was found to slow down grain-boundary and surface electromigration by one order of magnitude. We propose that this occurs because of the incubation time of nucleation of a new step at the triple points. The long incubation time slows down the overall rate of atomic transport.

Bibliography

Chen, K.-C., Wu, W.-W., Liao, C.-N., Chen, L.-J., & Tu, K. N. (2008). Observation of Atomic Diffusion at Twin-Modified Grain Boundaries in Copper. Science, 321(5892), 1066â1069.

Authors 5

Kuan-Chia Chen (first)
Wen-Wei Wu (additional)
Chien-Neng Liao (additional)
Lih-Juann Chen (additional)
K. N. Tu (additional)

References 21 Referenced 369

E. O. Hall, Proc. Phys. Soc. London Sect. B64, 747 (1951). (10.1088/0370-1301/64/9/303) / Proc. Phys. Soc. London Sect. B (1951)
N. J. Petch, J. Iron Steel Inst. London174, 25 (1953). / J. Iron Steel Inst. London (1953)
R. W. Balluffi, R. F. Mehl, Metall. Mater. Trans. A13, 2069 (1982). (10.1007/BF02648378) / Metall. Mater. Trans. A (1982)
S. W. Chan, R. W. Balluffi, Acta Metall.33, 1113 (1985). (10.1016/0001-6160(85)90205-6) / Acta Metall. (1985)
10.1126/science.1092905
C. K. Hu, J. M. E. Harper, Mater. Chem. Phys.52, 5 (1998). (10.1016/S0254-0584(98)80000-X) / Mater. Chem. Phys. (1998)
R. Frankovic, G. H. Bernstein, IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev.43, 2233 (1996). (10.1109/16.544396) / IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev. (1996)
P. Børgesen, J. K. Lee, R. Gleixner, C. Y. Li, Appl. Phys. Lett.60, 1706 (1992). (10.1063/1.107192) / Appl. Phys. Lett. (1992)
I. A. Blech, J. Appl. Phys.47, 1203 (1976). (10.1063/1.322842) / J. Appl. Phys. (1976)
C. K. Hu, R. Rosenberg, K. Y. Lee, Appl. Phys. Lett.74, 2945 (1999). (10.1063/1.123974) / Appl. Phys. Lett. (1999)
C. S. Hau-Riege, Microelectron. Reliab.44, 195 (2004). (10.1016/j.microrel.2003.10.020) / Microelectron. Reliab. (2004)
K. N. Tu, J. Appl. Phys.94, 5451 (2003). (10.1063/1.1611263) / J. Appl. Phys. (2003)
J. S. Huang, T. L. Shofner, J. Zhao, J. Appl. Phys.89, 2130 (2001). (10.1063/1.1340004) / J. Appl. Phys. (2001)
E. Liniger, L. Gignac, C. K. Hu, S. Kaldor, J. Appl. Phys.92, 1803 (2002). (10.1063/1.1492871) / J. Appl. Phys. (2002)
C. K. Hu, K. Y. Lee, L. Gignac, R. Carruthers, Thin Solid Films308-309, 443 (1997). / Thin Solid Films (1997)
C. N. Liao, K. C. Chen, W. W. Wu, L. J. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett.87, 141903 (2005). (10.1063/1.2081138) / Appl. Phys. Lett. (2005)
K. C. Chen, C. N. Liao, W. W. Wu, L. J. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett.90, 203101 (2007). (10.1063/1.2740109) / Appl. Phys. Lett. (2007)
See supporting material on Science Online.
M. Karimi, T. Tomkowski, Phys. Rev. B52, 5364 (1995). (10.1103/PhysRevB.52.5364) / Phys. Rev. B (1995)
A. P. Sutton, R. W. Balluffi, in Interfaces in Crystalline Materials (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995), chap. 10, p. 598. / Interfaces in Crystalline Materials (1995)
The work was supported by the National Science Council through grants NSC 96-2120-M-007-006 and 96-2628-E-007-018-MY3. K.N.T. acknowledges the support of NSF–Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team contract CMS-0506841.

Dates

Type	When
Created	17 years ago (Aug. 21, 2008, 5:43 p.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 10, 2024, 4:37 a.m.)
Indexed	52 minutes ago (Aug. 26, 2025, 11:11 p.m.)
Issued	17 years ago (Aug. 22, 2008)
Published	17 years ago (Aug. 22, 2008)
Published Print	17 years ago (Aug. 22, 2008)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Chen_2008, title={Observation of Atomic Diffusion at Twin-Modified Grain Boundaries in Copper}, volume={321}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1160777}, DOI={10.1126/science.1160777}, number={5892}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Chen, Kuan-Chia and Wu, Wen-Wei and Liao, Chien-Neng and Chen, Lih-Juann and Tu, K. N.}, year={2008}, month=aug, pages={1066–1069} }

JSON

{
  "indexed": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025,
        8,
        27
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2025-08-27T03:11:59Z",
    "timestamp": 1756264319726
  },
  "reference-count": 21,
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",
  "issue": "5892",
  "content-domain": {
    "domain": [],
    "crossmark-restriction": false
  },
  "published-print": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2008,
        8,
        22
      ]
    ]
  },
  "abstract": "<jats:p>Grain boundaries affect the migration of atoms and electrons in polycrystalline solids, thus influencing many of the mechanical and electrical properties. By introducing nanometer-scale twin defects into copper grains, we show that we can change the grain-boundary structure and atomic-diffusion behavior along the boundary. Using in situ ultrahigh-vacuum and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, we observed electromigration-induced atomic diffusion in the twin-modified grain boundaries. The triple point where a twin boundary meets a grain boundary was found to slow down grain-boundary and surface electromigration by one order of magnitude. We propose that this occurs because of the incubation time of nucleation of a new step at the triple points. The long incubation time slows down the overall rate of atomic transport.</jats:p>",
  "DOI": "10.1126/science.1160777",
  "type": "journal-article",
  "created": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2008,
        8,
        21
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2008-08-21T21:43:21Z",
    "timestamp": 1219355001000
  },
  "page": "1066-1069",
  "source": "Crossref",
  "is-referenced-by-count": 369,
  "title": "Observation of Atomic Diffusion at Twin-Modified Grain Boundaries in Copper",
  "prefix": "10.1126",
  "volume": "321",
  "author": [
    {
      "given": "Kuan-Chia",
      "family": "Chen",
      "sequence": "first",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Wen-Wei",
      "family": "Wu",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Chien-Neng",
      "family": "Liao",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Lih-Juann",
      "family": "Chen",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "K. N.",
      "family": "Tu",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, Republic of China."
        },
        {
          "name": "Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA."
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "member": "221",
  "reference": [
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_2_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "747",
      "DOI": "10.1088/0370-1301/64/9/303",
      "volume": "64",
      "year": "1951",
      "unstructured": "E. O. Hall, Proc. Phys. Soc. London Sect. B64, 747 (1951).",
      "journal-title": "Proc. Phys. Soc. London Sect. B"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_3_2",
      "first-page": "25",
      "volume": "174",
      "year": "1953",
      "unstructured": "N. J. Petch, J. Iron Steel Inst. London174, 25 (1953).",
      "journal-title": "J. Iron Steel Inst. London"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_4_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "2069",
      "DOI": "10.1007/BF02648378",
      "volume": "13",
      "year": "1982",
      "unstructured": "R. W. Balluffi, R. F. Mehl, Metall. Mater. Trans. A13, 2069 (1982).",
      "journal-title": "Metall. Mater. Trans. A"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_5_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "1113",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0001-6160(85)90205-6",
      "volume": "33",
      "year": "1985",
      "unstructured": "S. W. Chan, R. W. Balluffi, Acta Metall.33, 1113 (1985).",
      "journal-title": "Acta Metall."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_6_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1126/science.1092905"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_7_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "5",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0254-0584(98)80000-X",
      "volume": "52",
      "year": "1998",
      "unstructured": "C. K. Hu, J. M. E. Harper, Mater. Chem. Phys.52, 5 (1998).",
      "journal-title": "Mater. Chem. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_8_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "2233",
      "DOI": "10.1109/16.544396",
      "volume": "43",
      "year": "1996",
      "unstructured": "R. Frankovic, G. H. Bernstein, IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev.43, 2233 (1996).",
      "journal-title": "IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_9_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "1706",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.107192",
      "volume": "60",
      "year": "1992",
      "unstructured": "P. B\u00f8rgesen, J. K. Lee, R. Gleixner, C. Y. Li, Appl. Phys. Lett.60, 1706 (1992).",
      "journal-title": "Appl. Phys. Lett."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_10_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "1203",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.322842",
      "volume": "47",
      "year": "1976",
      "unstructured": "I. A. Blech, J. Appl. Phys.47, 1203 (1976).",
      "journal-title": "J. Appl. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_11_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "2945",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.123974",
      "volume": "74",
      "year": "1999",
      "unstructured": "C. K. Hu, R. Rosenberg, K. Y. Lee, Appl. Phys. Lett.74, 2945 (1999).",
      "journal-title": "Appl. Phys. Lett."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_12_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "195",
      "DOI": "10.1016/j.microrel.2003.10.020",
      "volume": "44",
      "year": "2004",
      "unstructured": "C. S. Hau-Riege, Microelectron. Reliab.44, 195 (2004).",
      "journal-title": "Microelectron. Reliab."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_13_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "5451",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.1611263",
      "volume": "94",
      "year": "2003",
      "unstructured": "K. N. Tu, J. Appl. Phys.94, 5451 (2003).",
      "journal-title": "J. Appl. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_14_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "2130",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.1340004",
      "volume": "89",
      "year": "2001",
      "unstructured": "J. S. Huang, T. L. Shofner, J. Zhao, J. Appl. Phys.89, 2130 (2001).",
      "journal-title": "J. Appl. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_15_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "1803",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.1492871",
      "volume": "92",
      "year": "2002",
      "unstructured": "E. Liniger, L. Gignac, C. K. Hu, S. Kaldor, J. Appl. Phys.92, 1803 (2002).",
      "journal-title": "J. Appl. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_16_2",
      "first-page": "443",
      "volume": "308",
      "year": "1997",
      "unstructured": "C. K. Hu, K. Y. Lee, L. Gignac, R. Carruthers, Thin Solid Films308-309, 443 (1997).",
      "journal-title": "Thin Solid Films"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_17_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "141903",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.2081138",
      "volume": "87",
      "year": "2005",
      "unstructured": "C. N. Liao, K. C. Chen, W. W. Wu, L. J. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett.87, 141903 (2005).",
      "journal-title": "Appl. Phys. Lett."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_18_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "203101",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.2740109",
      "volume": "90",
      "year": "2007",
      "unstructured": "K. C. Chen, C. N. Liao, W. W. Wu, L. J. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett.90, 203101 (2007).",
      "journal-title": "Appl. Phys. Lett."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_19_2",
      "unstructured": "See supporting material on Science Online."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_20_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "5364",
      "DOI": "10.1103/PhysRevB.52.5364",
      "volume": "52",
      "year": "1995",
      "unstructured": "M. Karimi, T. Tomkowski, Phys. Rev. B52, 5364 (1995).",
      "journal-title": "Phys. Rev. B"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_21_2",
      "first-page": "598",
      "year": "1995",
      "unstructured": "A. P. Sutton, R. W. Balluffi, in Interfaces in Crystalline Materials (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995), chap. 10, p. 598.",
      "journal-title": "Interfaces in Crystalline Materials"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_22_2",
      "unstructured": "The work was supported by the National Science Council through grants NSC 96-2120-M-007-006 and 96-2628-E-007-018-MY3. K.N.T. acknowledges the support of NSF\u2013Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team contract CMS-0506841."
    }
  ],
  "container-title": "Science",
  "original-title": [],
  "language": "en",
  "link": [
    {
      "URL": "https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1160777",
      "content-type": "unspecified",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "similarity-checking"
    }
  ],
  "deposited": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2024,
        1,
        10
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2024-01-10T09:37:17Z",
    "timestamp": 1704879437000
  },
  "score": 1,
  "resource": {
    "primary": {
      "URL": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1160777"
    }
  },
  "subtitle": [],
  "short-title": [],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2008,
        8,
        22
      ]
    ]
  },
  "references-count": 21,
  "journal-issue": {
    "issue": "5892",
    "published-print": {
      "date-parts": [
        [
          2008,
          8,
          22
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "alternative-id": [
    "10.1126/science.1160777"
  ],
  "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1160777",
  "relation": {},
  "ISSN": [
    "0036-8075",
    "1095-9203"
  ],
  "subject": [],
  "container-title-short": "Science",
  "published": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2008,
        8,
        22
      ]
    ]
  }
}