Figure 3
From: Exceptional fracture resistance of ultrathin metallic glass films due to an intrinsic size effect
Post-mortem characterization of film cross-sections by FIB. Three different stages of crack/shear band evolution in 250 nm thick polymer-supported Pd82Si18 films after straining to 10% can be clearly distinguished. (a) Early stage deformation where a single shear event within a single shear band leads to the formation of a single step on the surface as explained in the schematic diagram (b). (c) An intermediate stage with a neck formed due to the activation of another shear band, as represented in (d). (e) A fully developed and open crack, the corresponding schematic diagram with the profile of crack edges is depicted in (f).
