Effects of surface tension on the nanoindentation with a conical indenter

Abstract

In the present paper, the nanoindentation of an elastic half-space by a conical indenter is investigated with the influence of surface tension. Based on the solution of a point force acting on an elastic half-space with surface tension, the singular integral equation of this problem is formulated and is then solved numerically by using the Gauss–Chebyshev quadrature formula. Surface tension flattens the pressure distribution in the contact region. Compared to the result of the classical elasticity model, surface tension evidently decreases the normal displacement on the surface of the half-space. The explicit relations between load and contact radius, and between load and indent depth are derived, which are helpful to characterize the mechanical properties of the materials in nanoindentation.