Nanoindentation is a well-established technique for assessing the mechanical properties of a material/sample with respect to its microstructure. This applies to heterogenous materials with microscale anisotropy given by the crystallographic texture that influences the onset of crystal plasticity and deformation process.
Bruker’s unique ability to combine nanomechanical testing instruments and EDS/EBSD detectors for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) allows researchers to comprehensively investigate the composition, microstructure and understanding of the deformation mechanisms of materials at the sub-micron scale.
The PI 89 SEM PicoIndenter provides nanomechanical testing capabilities inside a SEM. It is the first in-situ instrument with two rotation and tilt stage configurations. This allows flexible sample positioning toward the electron column for structure-property correlation studies of complex materials. For example, imaging, FIB milling, EDS/EBSD measurement, and various other detectors.
In this application example, an austenitic steel sample is investigated using the combination of PI89 and serial sectioning (FIB) with subsequent EBSD measurement using eFlash FS EBSD detector. The 3D EBSD data are reconstructed and processed with ESPRIT QUBE software. The local and plastic properties of different domains are determined by analyzing the load-displacement curves of several indentation across these domains and the distribution of local average disorientation and geometrically necessary dislocation density.
Jaroslav Lukeš, Ph.D., Sales Applications Scientist, Bruker
Dr. Laurie Palasse
Global Application Manager, Bruker Nano Analytics
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