Twin Cu nanowires using energetic beams

It is well established that twinning can increase the mechanical strength of metallic (such as Cu) nanowires. This letter proposes a method of introducing twin boundaries into Cu nanowires using energetic beams and demonstrates the feasibility through classical molecular dynamics simulations. The authors show that after electron bombardment twinning occurs in Cu nanowires. The twinning consists of three steps: nucleation of hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) layer, growth of the HCP layer, and interaction of nearby HCP layers. The twinning method reported here offers a mechanism of improving the mechanical strength of metallic nanowires. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3232240]