Recent development and applications of instrumented indentation technique: some case studies

Abstract

Over the past 2 decades, instrumented indentation (nanoindentation) has long been used to measure the various mechanical properties of the small-scale materials, most often with a three-sided pyramidal (Berkovich) indenter and at much smaller loads and size scales than conventional micro-/macro-indentations. Now, the nanoindentation technique is being considered not only as a characterizing tool but as an important processing tool for nano-imprinting/pattering and nano-machining/precision. To define the appropriate conditions of the novel procedures (or, at least, to gain some insights for developing the procedures), it is essential to understand the possible phase transformation, cracking, yielding and deformation of the materials under the diamond indenter. Those fundamental phenomena are significantly affected by controlling the contact conditions such as indenter geometry, maximum load, and loading/unloading rate. In this talk, I would like to introduce some recent studies related to the topics. Results are discussed in terms of prevailing ideas and models for those phenomena.