DEVELOPMENT OF A MICRO-MINIATURE NANOINDENTATION INSTRUMENT

Zhi Li, Sai Gao, Konrad Herrmann

Abstract

Among the various methods for characterizing the mechanical properties of small volume of materials, nano-indentation testing has gained more and more interests, due to its simple principle, the easy realization and application for various specimen, etc. However, nano-indentation instruments often fail to measure the mechanical properties of materials which demonstrate heavy creep, plasticity, etc. To overcome the disadvantages of nano-indentation instruments, here a new approach to develop the next generation of nano-indentation systems is proposed, in which the well-developed MEMS technique is employed. As one of the key components in the to be developed system, the loading component is now realized by an electrostatic comb-drive actuator, which can generate the required indentation force with high resolution. This microminiature indentation system will feature the advantages of small size, low power consumption, high precision in manufacture, the potential for low cost through batch fabrication, the ability for on-site applications, etc. In this paper the design of the MEMS system is detailed, including the simulation of the mechanical system and the system performance.

Keywords

Micro-miniature, nano-indentation, MEMS

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IMEKO-TC5-2007-001.pdf

DOI

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IMEKO TC

TC5 - Hardness Measurement

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