Effects of solute Mg on grain boundary and dislocation dynamics during nanoindentation of Al–Mg thin films

Using in situ nanoindentation in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) the indentation-induced plasticity in ultrafinegrained Al and Al–Mg thin films has been studied, together with conventional quantitative ex situ nanoindentations. Extensive grain boundary motion has been observed in pure Al, whereas Mg solutes effectively pin high-angle grain boundaries in the Al–Mg alloy films. The proposed mechanism for this pinning is a change in the atomic structure of the boundaries, possibly aided by solute drag on extrinsic grain boundary dislocations. The mobility of low-angle boundaries is not affected by the presence of Mg. Based on the direct observations of incipient plasticity in Al and Al–Mg, it was concluded that solute drag accounts for the absence of discrete strain bursts in indentation of Al–Mg.