Stacking-fault tetrahedra are detrimental defects in neutron-or proton-irradiated structural metals with face-centered cubic structures. Their removal is very challenging and typically requires annealing at very high temperatures, incorporation of interstitials or interaction with mobile dislocations. Here we present an alternative solution to remove stacking-fault tetrahedra discovered during room temperature, in situ Kr ion irradiation of epitaxial nanotwinned Ag with an average twin spacing of B8 nm. A large number of stacking-fault tetrahedra were removed during their interactions with abundant coherent twin boundaries. Consequently the density of stacking-fault tetrahedra in irradiated nanotwinned Ag was much lower than that in its bulk counterpart. Two fundamental interaction mechanisms were identified, and compared with predictions by molecular dynamics simulations. In situ studies also revealed a new phenomenon: radiation-induced frequent migration of coherent and incoherent twin boundaries. Potential migration mechanisms are discussed.

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Nanotwinned metals have been the focus of intense research recently, as twin boundaries may greatly enhance mechanical strength, while maintaining good ductility, electrical conductivity and thermal stability. Most prior studies have focused on low stacking-fault energy nanotwinned metals with coherent twin boundaries. In contrast, the plasticity of twinned high stacking-fault energy metals, such as aluminium with incoherent twin boundaries, has not been investigated. Here we report high work hardening capacity and plasticity in highly twinned aluminium containing abundant S3{112} incoherent twin boundaries based on in situ nanoindentation studies in a transmission electron microscope and corresponding molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations also reveal drastic differences in deformation mechanisms between nanotwinned copper and twinned aluminium ascribed to stacking-fault energy controlled dislocation-incoherent twin boundary interactions. This study provides new insight into incoherent twin boundary-dominated plasticity in high stacking-fault energy twinned metals.