Does nanocrystalline Cu deform by Coble creep near room temperature?

The proposal that nanocrystalline Cu produced by electro deposition (ED) creeps at temperatures slightly above room temperature by diffusive flow via grain boundaries (Coble creep) has been checked by compression tests. It was found that the minimum creep rates obtained in tension are significantly larger than those in compression, probably due to interference of tensile fracture. Scanning electron microscopic investigation showed that the spacing between large-angle grain boundaries is about 10 μm rather than the reported value of 30 nm. Comparison with coarse grained and ultrafine grained Cu produced by equal channel angular pressing showed that the ED-Cu work hardens similarly to coarse grained Cu in contrast to ultrafine grained Cu which reaches its maximum deformation resistance within a small strain interval of 0.04 and has distinctly higher strain rate sensitivity of flow stress. The present results are consistent with the established knowledge that there is no softening by grain boundaries, e.g. due to Coble creep, near room temperature in Cu with grain sizes above 1 μm. The grain boundary effect observed in ultrafine grained Cu is interpreted in terms of modification of dislocation generation and dislocation annihilation by grain boundaries.