Analysis of elastic and plastic deformation associated with indentation testing of thin films on substrates

A study has been made of the elastic and plastic deformation associated with submicrometer indentation of thin films on substrates using the finite element method. The effects of the elastic and plastic properties of both the film and substrate on the hardness of the film/substrate composite are studied by determining the average pressure under the indenter as a function of the indentation depth. Calculations have been made for film/substrate combinations for which the substrate is either harder or softer than the film and for combinations for which the substrate is either stiffer or more compliant than the film. It is found, as expected, that the hardness increases with indentation depth when either the yield strength or the elastic modulus of the substrate is higher than that of the film. Correspondingly, the hardness decreases with indentation depth when the yield strength or elastic modulus of the substrate is lower than that of the film. Functional equations have been developed to predict the hardness variation with depth under these different conditions. Finite element simulation of the unloading portion of the load displacement curve permits a determination of the elastic compliance of the film/substrate composite as a function of indentation depth. The elastic properties of the film can be separated from those of the substrate using this information. The results are in good agreement with King's analytical treatment of this problem.