The ZHN nanoindenter is used for comprehensive, mechanical characterization of thin layers or small surface areas with the necessary force and travel resolution. This includes measuring indentation hardness, indentation modulus, and Martens hardness to ISO 14577 (instrumented indentation testing).

Applications

• Coating development from soft (polymer) to hard (diamond-type coatings)
• Determination of critical stresses for cracking or plastic deformation
• Hard material coatings for tools and as scratch protection
• Protective coatings on glass
• Paints and sol-gel coatings
• Automated measurement of hardness traverses on transverse cross-section
• Nano coatings for sensors and MEMS/NEMS
• Biological materials
• Matrix effects in alloys (mapping)
• Ceramic materials and composites
• Ion-implanted surfaces
• Damage analysis in microelectronics