Indentation mechanics and its application to thin film characterization

Instrumented indentation mechanics and its applications to thin film characterization are described and discussed. Instrumented nanoindentation has become an outstanding tool for characterizing coatings and treated surfaces. It is routinely used in industry and university allowing for determining the mechanical performance of coated and treated pieces, that is of primary importance for keeping new surface functionality in time. The paper reviews important procedures and concepts that have proved to be very useful to analyse the contact response (elastic unloading, indentation strains and stresses, composite response of coated pieces). Examples are used to illustrate the very wide range of studies that can be carried out.