ABSTRACT
Mechanical properties of the solid surfaces and surface thin films are of interest as the mechanical properties affect the tribological performance of surfaces. Among the mechanical properties of interest, one or more of which can be obtained using commercial and specialized hardness testers, are elastic-plastic deformation behavior, hardness, Young's modulus of elasticity, scratch resistance, film-substrate adhesion, residual stresses, time-dependent creep and relaxation properties, fracture toughness, and fatigue. The most commonly used commercial depth-sensing nanoindentation hardness apparatus is manufactured by MTS Nano Instruments Innovation Center, 1001 Larson Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Both the aluminum and tungsten data are typical of materials in which the hardness is relatively small compared to the modulus, as is observed in most metals; most of the indenter displacement in these metals is accommodated plastically and only a small portion is recovered on unloading. The apparatus to be described here is a “microhardness apparatus” and is only included here for completeness.
