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  • A Method For Interpreting The Data From Deph-Sensing Indentation Instruments

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    A Method for Interpreting the Data from Deph-Sensing Indentation Instruments

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    33 views9 pages

    A Method For Interpreting The Data From Deph-Sensing Indentation Instruments

    Uploaded by

    JLVriver

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    A method for interpreting the data from depth-sensing indentation instruments M.F. Doerner TBM General Products Division, San Jase California 95193 Dxpariment of Motels Scene and Engineering. Stanford Unters, Stand, California 94303 W.D, Nix Depariment of Maer Science and Engineering Stanford Universi, Stanford California 94308 (Received 4 February 1986; accepted 16 June 1986) Depth-sensing indentation instruments provide a means for studying the elastic and plastic properties of thin films. A method for obtaining hardness and Young's modulus from the data obtained from these types of instruments is described. Elastic displacements are determined from the data obtained during unloading of the indentation. Young's modulus ‘can be calculated from these measurements. In addition, the elastic contribution to the total displacement can be removed in order to calculate hardness. Determination ofthe exact shape of the indenter atthe tip is critical to the measurement of both hardness and elastic ‘modulus for indentation depths less than a micron. Hardiness is shown to depend on strain rate, especially when the hardness values are calculated from the data along the loading L INTRODUCTION The need for techniques to study the mechanical properties of thin films has recently rekindled an inter- est in microhardness and sub-micron indentation de- vives, Because thin film measurements require the use of very small indentations, it has been recognized that depth-sensing instruments are needed 10 provide the necessary resolution and repeatability in the measure- ‘ment of hardness. Since conventional microhardness testers require direct imaging of the indentations to ob- tain hardness, large errors are introduced due to mea- surement of the diagonal lengths, especially when the indentations are small. In addition, the depth-sensing instrument offers other advantages such asthe ability © ‘obtain information about the elastic and time-depen- ‘dent plastic properties ofthe sample. Although indentation hardness testing has been in widespread use for almost a century, high resolution depth-sensing instruments have only recently become ‘common. Most ofthe instruments in use have been built, by individual investigators to meet their speciic re- search requirements." Standard methods for inter- preting the load-displacement curves obtained from these instruments, however, have yet to be established. Since depth-sensing instruments record the total pene- tration of the indenter into the sample, « method for ‘determining the elastic and plastic contributions to the displacement is required. A technique for subtracting the elastic displacement from the total displacement t0 Obtain the hardness is proposed. Also, a method for re- lating the elastic displacements to Young's modulus of the sample is described. These methods have been ap- plied to data obtained using a commercially available Mater Res. 1 (4), Ju/Aug 1886 000.695 /a6/o40801-00801.75 Instrument, the Nanoindenter from Nano Instruments Ine. U, THE NANOINDENTER Athough the data analysis methods described here are applicable to any depth-sensing indentation instru ‘ment, some of the details of the discussion are specific to ‘the Nanoindenter. For this reason, a brief description of the Nanoindenter operation will be given here. ‘Asschematic diagram of the indenting mechanism is given in Fig. 1. The indenter is a tlangular pyramid shaped diamond withthe same area to depth ratioas the traditional Vickers pyramid. The postion ofthe indent crisdetermined by acapacitance displacement gauge. A coil and magnet assembly located atthe top of the load- ing column s used to drive the indenter toward the sam- ple. The force imposed on the column is controlled by susoaeg ‘Songs Capactane FIG. | Schematic digra ofthe indenting mechanism of he Nano: © 1986 Matevas Research Society 601 MF. Doerner and W. D. Ni Interpreting the data fom depth-sensing indentation instruments IROENTATION LONOING CURVE ow | = LoaD om Me DEPTH FIG. 2. Typical oadtisplacement curve obtained using the Nenoin- enter showing the dference Between the pli ni al depths varying the current in the coil. The loading column is suspended by flexible springs and the motion is damped by air flow around the center plate of the capacitor, which is attached to the loading column. The capac tance displacement gauge permits one to detect dis- placement changes of 0.2-0.3 nm. The force resolution of the system is about 0.5 4N. Tester operation, includ- ing indentation rate control and data recording, is com- puter controlled. ‘A typical test involves moving the indenter to the surface of the material and measuring the forces and displacements associated with the indentation process. ‘The surface is located for each indentation by lowering the indenter at a constant rate against the suspending springs and detecting a change in velocity on contact, with the surface. In the testing mode, the load is incre- mented in order to maintain a constant velocity, al- though other schemes, such as a constant strain rate, ‘can be implemented. A typical testing rate is about 3 ‘m/s. A typical loading curve is shown in Fig. 2. The depth plotted represents the total displacement of the |e AT SURFACE UNDER LOKD indenter relative tothe initial positon of the surface. It is composed of both elastic and plastic displacements ‘The load-

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