Indentation across size scales – A survey of indentation-induced plastic zones in copper {111} single crystals

The indentation-induced plastic zones below indentations in copper {1 1 1} single crystals, with depths ranging from 250 nm to 250 μm, were examined using electron backscatter diffraction technique. Analyzing the obtained orientation “micrographs” and the corresponding hardness plot exhibits three clearly distinguishable regimes. Comparing the microstructure reflected in the identified regimes to the structure which evolves during the deformation of pure face-centered cubic (fcc) single crystals shows very good agreement.