N.M.: Determining the area function of spherical indenters fornanoindentation

Nanoindentation with spherical tipped indenters provides a powerful technique for exploring surface mechanical properties through the application of Hertzian mechanics. The full range of mechanical response can be obtained from elastic, through the yield point to a range of permanent deformation. However, the successful application of the technique requires accurate calibration of the indenter tip geometry. In this paper methods based on indentation into a number of reference materials are used to characterise a range of spherical tipped indenters with nominal radii from 5 to 50 microns. A traceably calibrated metrological AFM is also used to determine the actual shape of one of the indenters. The sensitivity of each method to test parameters is discussed. Coincidence of the data from both methods validates the determined shape of the indenter and offers the opportunity to cross-correlate the calibration of both instruments with high sensitivity