Multiscale plastic deformation in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy has been characterized using white microbeam synchrotron diffraction measurements together with OIM imaging, electron and optical microscopy. Characteristic length scales on the macro, meso and nano scale are determined. Dissolution of the γ' – phase particles during heating and secondary precipitation of γ' – phase during cooling is found, as well as formation and multiplication of dislocations. This process is more intense as one approaches the fusion line (FL). In the regions immediately neighboring the FL, γ' - phase particles dissolve completely and reprecipitate from the solid solution in the form of very small (50-70nm) particles. In the immediate vicinity of the FL, the temperature gradient and the rate of it's change reaches maximal values and causes the formation of large amounts of dislocations. Dislocations are concentrated in the ã matrix of the single crystal superalloy. X-ray Laue diffraction (both conventional and microbeam) and electron microscopy show that alternating dislocations slip systems dominate in the HAZ with typical Burgers vector b=[110]. Local lattice rotations in different zones of the weld joint are linking with the microslip events in different zones of the weld.

Intrinsic stresses due to lattice mismatch and high densities of threading dislocations and extrinsic stresses resulting from the mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion are present in almost all III-Nitride heterostructures. Stress relaxation in the GaN layers occurs in conventional and in pendeo-epitaxial films via the formation of additional misfit dislocations, domain boundaries, elastic strain and wing tilt. Polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction, high resolution monochromatic X-ray diffraction and finite element simulations have been used to determine the distribution of strain, dislocations, sub-boundaries and crystallographic wing tilt in uncoalesced and coalesced GaN layers grown by maskless pendeo-epitaxy. An important parameter was the width-to-height ratio of the etched columns of GaN from which the lateral growth of the wings occurred. The strain and tilt across the stripes increased with the width-to-height ratio. Tilt boundaries formed in the uncoalesced GaN layers at the column/wing interfaces for samples with a large ratio. Sharper tilt boundaries were observed at the interfaces formed by the coalescence of two laterally growing wings. The wings tilted upward during cooling to room temperature for both the uncoalesced and the coalesced GaN layers. It was determined that finite element simulations that account for extrinsic stress relaxation can explain the experimental results for uncoalesced GaN layers. Relaxation of both extrinsic and intrinsic stress components in the coalesced GaN layers contribute to the observed wing tilt and the formation of sub-boundaries.

In the present paper the evolution of the dislocation structure duringelectromigration in different regions along the Al(Cu) interconnect line isconsidered. It is shown that plastic deformation increases in the regionsclose to cathode end of the interconnect line. A coupling between thedissolution, growth and re-precipitation of Al2Cu precipitates and theelectromigration-induced plastic deformation of grains in interconnects isobserved. Possible mechanism of the Cu doping effect on the improvedelectromigration resistance of the Al(Cu) interconnects is discussed.

The intensity distribution of Laue diffraction is analyzed as a function of local misorientation. We show how unpaired dislocations alter the white beam Laue patterns for isolated dislocations, for dislocation walls, and for a combination of both. We consider the effect of different statistically and geometrically necessary dislocation densities on the intensity distribution along and perpendicular to the Laue streak. A 3D x-ray crystal microscope is used to analyze the complicated plastic-elastic field in a grain of a Ni polycrystalline sample during in-situ uniaxial pulling. A change of dislocation activity with depth is demonstrated. The dislocation slip systems and their densities are determined at various depths. The model parameters are used to simulate the whole Laue pattern including details about the contours for specific Laue spots; good agreement is found between simulated and experimental contours.

New synchrotron x-ray microbeam methodology is used to analyze and test the reliability of interconnects. The early stage of plastic deformation induced by electromigration before any damages become visible has been recently revealed by white beam scanning X-ray microdiffraction during an accelerated test on Al interconnect lines. In the present paper, we provide a quantitative analysis of the dislocation structure generated in several micron-sized Al grains in both the middle region and ends of the interconnect line during an in-situ electromigration experiment. We demonstrate that the evolution of the dislocation structure during electromigration is highly inhomogeneous and results in the formation of randomly distributed geometrically necessary dislocations as well as geometrically necessary boundaries. The orientation of the activated slip systems and rotation axis depends on the position of the grain in the interconnect line. The origin of the observed plastic deformation is considered in view of constraints for dislocation arrangements under applied electric field during electromigration. The coupling between plastic deformation and precipitation in the Al (0.5% wt. Cu) is observed for the grains close to the anode/cathode end of the line.

Brilliant synchrotron microprobes offer new opportunities for the analysis of stress/strain and deformation distributions in crystalline materials. Polychromatic x-ray microdiffraction is emerging as a particularly important tool because it allows for local crystal-structure measurements in highly deformed or polycrystalline materials where sample rotations complicate alternative methods; a complete Laue pattern is generated in each volume element intercepted by the probe beam. Although a straightforward approach to the measurement of stress/strain fields through white-beam Laue microdiffraction has been demonstrated, a comparable method for determining the plastic-deformation tensor has not been established. Here we report on modeling efforts that can guide automated fitting of plastic-deformation-tensor distributions in three dimensions.

Electromigration during accelerated testing can induce early stage plastic deformation in Al interconnect lines as recently revealed by the white beam scanning X-ray microdiffraction. In the present paper, we provide a first quantitative analysis of the dislocation structure generated in individual micron-sized Al grains during an in-situ electromigration experiment. Laue reflections from individual interconnect grains show pronounced streaking after electric current flow. We demonstrate that the evolution of the dislocation structure during electromigration is highly inhomogeneous and results in the formation of unpaired randomly distributed dislocations as well as geometrically necessary dislocation boundaries. Approximately half of all unpaired dislocations are grouped within the walls. The misorientation created by each boundary and density of unpaired individual dislocations is determined.