Abstract
We describe the development of a technique for making indentations on the top 5–20 nm ofthe surfaces of relatively low modulus materials using a high spatial and force sensitivityatomic force microscope (AFM) whose optical cantilever has been replaced by a quartzcrystal resonator (QCR). Unlike conventional optical-cantilever-based AFMs, the accuracyof this technique is not compromised by the compliance of the loading system due to thehigh stiffness of the QCR. To obtain material modulus values from the indentation results,we find the commonly used Oliver–Pharr model to be unsuitable because of our use of asharp tip and relatively deep indentation. Instead, we develop a new analysis that may bemore appropriate for the geometry we use as well as the non-linear constitutive behaviorexhibited by the materials we examined. We calculated values for the moduli of severaldifferent materials, which we find to be consistent with the range of published data.
Published Version
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