High Temperature Flow Behavior of Ultra-Strong Nanoporous Au assessed by Spherical Nanoindentation

Nanoporous metals have attracted attention in various research fields in the past years since their unique microstructures make them favorable for catalytic, sensory or microelectronic applications. Moreover, the refinement of the ligaments down to the nanoscale leads to an exceptionally high strength. To guarantee a smooth implementation of nanoporous metals into modern devices their thermo-mechanical behavior must be properly understood. Within this study the mechanical flow properties of nanoporous Au were investigated at elevated temperatures up to 300 °C. In contrast to the conventional synthesis by dealloying of AuAg precursors, the present foam was fabricated via severe plastic deformation of an AuFe nanocomposite and subsequent selective etching of iron, resulting in Au ligaments consisting of nanocrystalline grains, while remaining Fe impurities excessively stabilize the microstructure. A recently developed spherical nanoindentation protocol was used to extract the stress-strain curves of nanoporous Au. A tremendous increase of yield strength due to ligament and grain refinement was observed, which is largely maintained at high temperatures. Reviewing literature will evidence that the combined nanocrystalline and nanoporous structure leads to remarkable mechanical properties. Furthermore, comparison to a previous Berkovich nanoindentation study outlines the conformity of different indentation techniques.