Tensile strength of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–W alloys with finely dispersed micrometer-sized array through-holes

Electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–W alloys with finely dispersed micrometer-sized array through-holes having diameters between 20 μm and 50 μm with a regular interval of 100 μm have been prepared by using UV (ultraviolet light)-lithographic techniques. In the case of monolithic nanocrystalline Ni–16 at.% W alloys with a grain diameter of 10–20 nm, the nominal tensile strength and the total elongation at fracture were attained at 1700 MPa and about 1%, respectively. With finely dispersed array through-holes having a diameter of 30 μm, the tensile strength and the total elongation at fracture increased up to about 2200 MPa and 1.2%, respectively. This may be due to the multiplication of highly localized yielding beginning at the finely dispersed array through-holes that can moderate the propagation of individual shear bands and cracks effectively.