Finite element modeling of nano-indentation technique to characterize thin film coatings

Thin films and coatings are increasingly being used almost in every engineering field. Many properties such as tribological, strength and magnetic can be improved by application of thin film. Especially in mechanical they are being applied in engines parts, prone to worn out and corroded parts, biomedical implants and cutting tools. Under service life, these coatings may incur failure thereby resulting in loss of the system as a whole. Therefore, it is unavoidable to investigate the critical loads that lead to ultimate fracture. Among many techniques available to assess the service performance of coatings, nanoindentation technique is a versatile nondestructive and has been applied frequently for this purpose. Further, it is imperative to simulate nanoindentation by powerful FEM software to extract plenty of mechanical properties like hardness, elastic modulus, endurance loads and various parameters like optimal thickness and optimal critical load, stress distribution and contact pressure between substrate and layer can be obtained through load-displacement curve. In this article review, a detailed procedure of nanoindentation experiment and its finite element analysis have been presented and latest development in this area has been provided while keeping focus on thin films. © 2017 The Authors