ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the work on nano-mechnical characterization of ceramic materials. Ceramic materials are increasingly of technological significance for electronic packaging, magnetic recording media, chemical and mechanical components/devices. Mechanical properties of the ceramic surfaces and thin films are of interest, as the mechanical properties affect the tribological performance of surfaces and the reliability of devices. Diamond is the most frequently used indenter material, especially for measuring the mechanical properties of ceramic materials, because its high hardness and elastic modulus minimize the contribution of the indenter itself to the measured displacement. Most of the commercial nano-indenters have a scratch option. Ceramics generally have a relatively low fracture toughness; consequently, it is a property which must be considered for the selection of ceramics for industrial applications. Evaluation of the brittleness of ultra-thin ceramic films remains theoretical and technical challenges. Nanoscratch testing is widely used to evaluate resistance to scratch for ceramic surfaces and adhesion of ceramic thin films to their substrates.
