Unprecedented grain size effect on stacking fault width

Abstract

Using an atomistic-phase field dislocation dynamics model, we isolate and investigate grain size and stress effects on the stacking fault width created by partial dislocation emission from a boundary. We show that the nucleation stress for a Shockley partial is governed by size of the boundary defect and insensitive to grain size. We reveal a grain size regime in which the maximum value the stacking fault width attains increases with grain size.