Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Copper Thin Film and Copper Bulk at the Nano-Scale by Nanoindenter
This study used the nanoindenter to perform indentation tests on copper bulk and nano copper film in order to discuss the mechanical properties of pure copper at the nano scale. This study tested 7 levels of load, ranging from 20 to 200 μN (load increment at 30 μN) for the indentation tests on copper bulk and nano copper film specimens. Results showed that the load was roughly proportional to the residual depth, in the case of flat nano copper film, while the relationship between the load and the residual depth was not significant in the case of unsmooth copper bulk. Moreover, the hardness of both the copper bulk and the nano copper film would increase along with increasing load, while the Er value change trends of both the copper bulk and the nano copper film specimens differed with increasing load.