Size effect measurement and characterization in nanoindentation test

Nanoindentation test at scale of hundreds of nanometers has shown that measured hardness increases strongly with decreasing indent depth, which is frequently referred to as the size effect. Usually, the size effect is displayed in the hardness-depth curves. In this study, the size effect is characterized in both the load–displacement curves and the hardness–depth curves. The experimental measurements were performed for single-crystal copper specimen and for surface-nanocrystallized Al-alloy specimen. Moreover, the size effect was characterized using the dislocation density theory. To investigate effects of some environmental factors, such as the effect of surface roughness and the effect of indenter tip curvature, the specimen surface profile and the indentation imprint profile for single-crystal copper specimen were scanned and measured using the atomic force microscopy technique. Furthermore, the size effect was characterized and analyzed when the effect of the specimen surface roughness was considered.