Characterization of Materials, Nanomaterials, and Thin Films by Nanoindentation

This chapter introduces the concepts that define the mechanical properties characterized by nanoindentation, the fundamentals of nanoindentation, nanoindentation applications in materials and composites, and especially applications in nanostructured materials and thin films. Also introduced are experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to revealing the mechanisms and fundamentals of nanoindentation. This chapter reviews frontier research on the use of experimental and computer modeling to find the mechanical properties of materials, composites, nanomaterials, and thin films by nanoindentation.