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The deformation behavior of nanocrystalline Pd films on compliant polyimide substrates is investigated using a synchrotron-based in situ tensile testing technique. The combination of analytical and physical modeling of the evolution of peak shape during deformation allows to subdivide the deformation behavior into elastic, microplastic and macroplastic deformation. The results confirm that the deformation behavior of nanocrystalline Pd in the grain size regime of 50 nm is still governed by dislocation plasticity, however, in addition, thermally activated grain boundary mediated deformation mechanisms are active. The deformation behavior of the nanocrystalline Pd films is thus given by a specific sequence of a highly heterogeneous elastic response of the nanocrystalline aggregate, its accommodation by grain boundary mediated deformation and upcoming dislocation activity within individual grains.

The current report covers the establishment of an in situ X-ray diffraction tensile experiment at the synchrotron ANKA located at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe for probing diffraction signals from nanocrystalline thin films during tensile deformation. Measurements on nanocrystalline palladium films verify the capabilities of the setup.