MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES BY ULTRA-LOW LOAD INDENTATION

Ultra-low load indentation, also known as nanoindentation, is a widely used tool for measuring the mechanical properties of thin films and s mall volumes of material. One of the great advantages of the technique is its ability to probe a surface and map its properties on a spatial ly resolved basis, sometimes with a resolution of better than 1 mu m. In this paper, techniques for measuring mechanical properties by ultra -low load indentation techniques are reviewed and discussed. Emphasis is given to the use of sharp indenters and how they can be used to mea sure elastic modulus, hardness, and fracture toughness. These fundamen tal mechanical properties characterize the three primary modes of defo rmation in solids-elasticity, plasticity, and fracture. (C) 1998 Publi shed by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.