Nanoindentation-induced pile-up in the residual impression of crystalline Cu with different grain size

Nanoindentation morphologies of crystalline copper have been probed at the grain scale. Experimental tests have been conducted on nanocrystalline (NC), ultrafine-grained (UFG), and coarse-grained (CG) copper samples with a new Berkvoich indenter at the strain rate of 0.04/s without holding time at an indentation depth of 2000 nm at room temperature. As the grain size increases, the height of the pile-up around the residual indentation increases and then exhibits a slightly decrease in the CG Cu. The maximum of the pile-up in the CG Cu obviously deviates from the center of the indenter sides. Our analysis has revealed that the dislocation motion and GB activities in the NC Cu, some cross- and multiple-slip dislocations inside the larger grain in the UFG Cu, and forest dislocations from the intragranular Frank-Read sources in the CG Cu would directly induce this distinct pile-up effect.