| The mechanical behavior of free-standing thin gold films is investigated. Gold films ranging in thickness from 0.2 to 2.0 μm are synthesized by evaporation, and are subjected to uniaxial tensile tests at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 600°C. The unique microstructural features of these thin films, namely, fine grain sizes and high dislocation densities, play a large role in determining the mechanical response of these films. These features cause the mechanical behavior of thin films to differ from that of gold tested in bulk form.; Microstructural observations are also presented for films subjected to various states of stress and temperature. The films evolved in very different ways depending on the imposed stress state. This behavior ranges from an essentially stagnant microstructure in some stress-free films to rapid grain growth in films subjected to tension. |
