Figure 3: Dislocation density evolution upon relaxation.
(a) Average dislocation density (red solid squares) evolution of the Pd film versus time (open circles are measurements of individual grains with listed numbers indicating the corresponding grain size (nm)). The average dislocation density in as-deposited Pd films is 4±0.7 × 1016 m−2. On the images, the time after the release is given in hours. Dislocation density first increases when deformation is applied after release and then decreases upon relaxation. (b–d) Filtered HRTEM images showing the continuous change of the dislocation positions with time. Note the formation and destruction of Lomer–Cottrell dislocations indicated by L-C in c. The perfect dislocations are indicated by ‘T’ symbols. The scale bar is 2 nm.
