A high Cube texture developed in pure copper under a low thermal driving force

Abstract

Copper with a high Cube texture demonstrates significant potential for applications in substrate and high-conductivity materials. In this study, a heavily cold-rolled pure copper was annealed at 180°C for 1 h, and an exceptionally high Cube texture of 79.6% was achieved. In-situ heating Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) results revealed that the pre-existing deformed cube-oriented grains, characterized by an elongated-band morphology and abundant S texture surrounding them, offer significant advantages for recrystallization of cube-oriented grains at the initial stage of annealing, accounting for the high fraction of Cube texture. However, the formation of twin boundaries with limited mobility during the growth of cube-oriented grains, along with the nucleation of non-cube-oriented grains at the junctions of deformation bands as annealing temperature increases, can impede the further enhancement of Cube texture. Our findings offer insights into the introduction of high Cube texture in copper under a low thermal driving force.