Mechanical characterization of nano-structured materials using nanoindentation

Abstract

The principal strengths of the nanoindentation technique, which is used extensively to measure the mechanical properties of nano/micro materials, are easy sample preparation and simple experimental method. Hardness and Young's modulus are essential properties measured by nanoindentation; hardness corresponds to resistance to plastic deformation whereas Young's modulus is related to elastic deformation. Two key difficulties arise in association with narroindentation on small volumes: measurement accuracy and material response. Here we discuss the indentation size effect (ISE) considering tip bluntness and variation in hardness of nano-multilayers with a bilayer period, representative research on measurement improvement, and material response at nanoscalles.