A Three Dimensional Finite Element Modeling of Nanoindentation for Solid Surfaces and Thin Films

Instrumentation for the testing of mechanical properties on the submicron scale has developed enormously in recent years. This has enabled the mechanical behavior of surfaces, thin films, and coatings to be studied with unprecedented accuracy. Measuring mechanical properties of materials on a very small scale is difficult, but increasingly important work. There are only a few existing technologies for conducting quantitative measurements of mechanical properties of nanostructures, and nanoindentation is the leading candidate. In this study, we simulate the nanoindentation tests of solid surfaces and thin film materials using finite element software ABAQUS. The materials properties and test parameters will be taken from references on nanoindentation experiments. Therefore, the model can be validated by comparing its predictions with experiment results. In addition, we have changed the thickness of the thin film and the material kind of the substrate (for the thin film) in the model, in order to study substrate s effects on nanoindentation tests

Keywords:

viscoelastic solid films , thermoviscoelastic problems , relaxation functions , incremental procedure