MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION BY NANOINDENTATION OF ZIRCONIUM ION-IMPLANTED ALUMINA

Polycrystalline alpha-Al2O3 was implanted at 170 keV with doses of 2x1 0(16), 1x10(17) or 2x10(17) ions/cm(2). The as-implanted samples were then annealed at 1000, 1200 and 1400 degrees C. The mechanical propert ies, such. as hardness (H) and Young's modulus (E), of these ion-impla nted samples were characterized by a depth-sensing low-load indentatio n technique. The results showed that, with a low dose ion implantation followed by annealing at 1200 degrees C, a significant increase in ha rdness and elastic modulus were found. For higher doses, where the imp lantation leads to the amorphisation of the material, the mechanical p roperties of the implanted alumina were inferior to those of unimplant ed alumina.