Nano Indenter^® G200x

Hardness and Modulus Measurements (Oliver-Pharr)

Mechanical characterisation is critical in the process and manufacture of films, including the quality of coatings in the automotive industry, as well as during process control of front-end and back-end semiconductor manufacturing.

The G200X nanoindenter is capable of measuring hardness and modulus for a wide variety of materials, from ultra-soft gels to hard coatings. The high speed assessment of these properties enables quality control and assurance on production lines.

High speed material property maps

For many materials, including composites, the mechanical properties may vary widely from one area to the next. The G200X system provides a sample stage movement of 100mm in the X and Y axes, and 25mm in the Z axis, allowing testing of a wide range of sample heights over a large sample area. The optional NanoBlitz Topography and Tomography software can quickly generate colour maps of any of the measured mechanical properties.

Yield Stress-Strain

During material elastic deformation, the strain increases in proportion to the applied stress, with the constant of proportionality being the Young’s Modulus of the material, E. The entire stress-strain curve of a material, including the yield point, can be determined using nanoindentation with a flat-ended cylindrical punch and patented KLA analysis of the resulting force-displacement data.

ISO 14577 hardness testing

The Nano Indenter G200X includes a pre-written ISO 14577 test method that measures material hardness in compliance with the ISO 14577 standard. This test method automatically measures and reports Young’s modulus, instrumented hardness, Vickers hardness and the normalized work-of-indentation.

Interfacial adhesion measurement

Thin film delamination is generally induced by depositing a highly compressive layer that can store elastic energy. The interfacial adhesion measurement is critical to assist users in understanding the failure mode of the thin film. Nano Indenter G200X systems can initiate the interfacial fracture and measure the adhesion and residual stress properties of the multiple-layer thin film.

Fracture Toughness

Fracture toughness is the critical value of the stress-intensity factor at which catastrophic failure occurs under plane-strain conditions. Lower values of fracture toughness indicate a pre-existing flaw. Evaluating fracture toughness by nanoindentation is accomplished easily by using the Stiffness Mapping method. (Stiffness mapping requires the Continuous Stiffness Measurement and NanoVision options.)

Viscoelastic Properties

Polymers are exceptionally complex materials; their mechanical properties depend on chemistry, processing and thermo-mechanical history. Specifically, the mechanical properties depend on the type and length of the parent chain, branching, cross-linking, strain, temperature, and frequency, and these dependencies are generally interrelated. In order to gain useful information for making decisions when designing with polymers, mechanical property measurements should be made on a relevant sample in a relevant context. Nanoindentation testing makes such context-specific measurements more accessible, because samples can be small and minimally prepared. The Nano Indenter G200X system can also be used to measure complex modulus and the viscoelastic properties of the polymer by oscillating the indenter while in contact with the materials.

Scanning probe microscopy (3D imaging)

The Nano Indenter G200X system provides two scanning probe microscopy methods to characterise the crack length of indentation impression for measurement of fracture toughness in design applications. Fracture toughness is defined as the ability of a defective material containing a crack to resist fracture. The piezo stage of the Nano Indenter G200X, with its high positioning accuracy combined with the NanoVision option, provides up to 1nm encoder resolution of step size with a maximum 100µm by 100µm scan size. The Survey Scanning software option combines the X/Y motion system with InView software to provide a maximum scan size of 500µm by 500µm. Both the NanoVision stage and Survey Scanning option are required to target precise areas of samples for nanoindentation testing and calculation of fracture toughness.

Quantitative scratch and wear testing

The G200X system can perform scratch and wear testing on a variety of materials. Coatings and films are subjected to many processes that test the strength of these films and their adhesion to the substrate, such as chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) and wire bonding. It is important for these materials to resist plastic deformation during these processes, and to remain intact without blistering up from the substrate. Ideally, a dielectric material will have a high hardness and elastic modulus because these parameters help define how the material will react when subjected to manufacturing processes.

High temperature nanoindentation testing

Nanoindentation at elevated temperatures is critical to characterising material performance under thermal stress, especially for quantifying failure mechanisms during thermomechanical processing. Varying the sample temperature during mechanical testing enables not only measurement of thermal-induced behavioural changes, but also quantification of transition plasticity of materials that are not easily tested on the nanoscale.

Hard Coatings

Typically, < 5µm thick hard coatings are applied to materials for surface protection, increased wear resistance, friction/lubrication, temperature resistance, and biocompatibility. The Nano Indenter G200X system can accurately perform ISO standardised nanoindentation testing and measure elastic modulus and hardness of the coating without influence from the substrate. The Nano Indenter G200X is also capable of measuring scratch hardness and wear resistance. In the case of high surface roughness coatings, the NanoBlitz 3D option can be used to quickly and quantitatively assess material properties.

Semiconductor Wafers

Semiconductor manufacturers often strive to produce thin films with high mechanical integrity, but low film flexibility can lead to cracking or delamination. Undetected defects at the substrate and epitaxial layers can also result in latent defect and crack propagation, which can lead to device failure. KLA nanoindenters are capable of measuring elastic modulus and hardness of the thinnest films, as well as fracture toughness and cracking threshold, all without artefacts from the underlying substrate. Correlating nanomechanical properties to process parameters is critical to maximise semiconductor device yield.

Semiconductor Packaging

The performance and lifetime of an electronic component can depend upon the integrity of its packaging. Our nanoindenters allow semiconductor packaging manufacturers to assess the mechanical properties of polymer underfills, solder strain-rate sensitivity, and the strength of metallic components.

Ceramics and Glasses

Ceramics and glasses are important materials used in many applications for their unique optical, mechanical, and electrical properties. Traditional mechanical testing of ceramics and glasses (e.g., 4-point bending) can be time-consuming and expensive. The G200X tool allows for rapid characterisation of elastic modulus and hardness of small volumes of material. The scratch testing capability is also well-suited to quantitatively assess the scratch resistance of optical coatings.

Polymers and Plastics

Polymers and plastics are used in many applications due to their time-dependent deformation properties. Whether used as vibration dampers, extrusion materials, or medical implants, polymers are often analysed via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). In many cases, the geometries of plastic components are not suitable for traditional DMA instruments. KLA nanoindenters are able to locally target areas on a plastic component and examine frequency-dependent storage and loss moduli and loss factors regardless of the geometry of the sample. Viscoelastic creep and stress relaxation properties can also be measured with the Nano Indenter G200X.

Metals and Alloys

Metals and alloys play an important role in many industries, such as automotive, aerospace, medical, and semiconductor. Traditional mechanical testing of metals and alloys (e.g., tensile testing) can be time-consuming and expensive. The G200X allows for rapid characterisation of small volumes of material. It also allows users to characterise elastic modulus, hardness, and creep resistance, as well as gradients in these properties as a function of spatial location.

Batteries and Energy Storage

Mechanical properties of battery materials are closely tied to the battery’s stability, charge capacity, and lifetime. The Nano Indenter G200X system is well-suited for testing a wide range of battery materials, from soft lithium to hard ceramic substrates. The Nano Indenter G200X provides advanced measurement solutions in many environments, including dry rooms and glove boxes.

Research and Development

KLA Instruments nanoindenters are not only built for the precision and accuracy required by demanding R&D applications but are also flexible scientific instruments. Whether measuring the mechanical properties of novel materials, examining the deformation mechanisms of metals, or analysing strain-rate sensitivity as a function of temperature, the Nano Indenter G200X provides a wide range of nanoindentation measurement capability to enable advanced research and accelerate development.

Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials

The mechanical properties of biomaterials and pharmaceuticals are strongly linked to performance and customer experience, respectively. The elastic modulus or stiffness of a material can be related to texture and feel. The mechanical properties of coatings are also critical to on-time drug delivery. The G200X system provides quantitative information that supplements qualitative customer feedback.

Automotive and Aerospace

KLA Instruments nanoindenters allow advanced characterisation of materials as a function of temperature, a key capability for automotive and aerospace applications. Strength, stiffness, and time-dependent mechanical properties are all measurable using Nano Indenter G200X’s nanoindentation techniques.

Nanoscale Universal Testing

The G200X systems are capable of measuring nanoscale mechanical deformation and other nanomechanical properties. Measurement of nanoindentation, compression, tension, creep, stress relaxation, and fatigue are examples of the system’s versatile capabilities. Standard and custom experimental methods are supported. The dedicated scientists in the nanoindenter group at KLA are also available for consulting and experiment design.