Field assisted sintering of nickel nanoparticles during in situ transmission electron microscopy

摘要

This study reports the in situ transmission electron microscopy u0002TEMu0003 observation of pressure-lessnfield-assisted sintering of agglomerated nanometric nickel particles. Scanning tunneling microscopyninside the TEM was used to apply an electrical current directly to the powder particles. Electricalntesting during the experiment reveals that consolidation occurs in the absence of an external heatnsource. Neck formation between adjacent particles and attendant increase in local Joule heatingncauses rapid densification. The results represent a first stepping stone towards achieving anfundamental mechanistic understanding of the atomic-scale processes that enable field-enhancednsintering of conductive nanogranular materials. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.nu0004doi:10.1063/1.3452327