KLA iMicro Nanoindentation Instrument

KLA Nanoindentation InstrumentIntroduction:

The KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument can easily measure hard coatings, thin films, and small amounts of materials. This instrument is accurate, flexible, and user-friendly, providing various nanoscale mechanical tests such as indentation, hardness, scratch, and universal nanoscale testing. Interchangeable drivers can provide a large dynamic range of force loads and displacements, enabling researchers to conduct detailed and reproducible tests on materials ranging from soft polymers to hard metals and ceramics. The modular option is suitable for various applications: material property distribution, specific frequency testing, scratch and wear testing, and high temperature testing. The KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument has a complete set of testing extension options, including sample heating, continuous stiffness measurement, NanoBlitz3D/4D property distribution, and Gemini2D force load sensor, which can provide friction and other biaxial measurements.

KLA Nanoindentation InstrumentAdvantage:

• Modular design, with broad testing functions and high-throughput automated testing capabilities, equipped with statistical data analysis packages, suitable for nanomechanical performance measurement, scanning probe microscopy imaging, high-temperature measurement, and real-time and experimental control of IV voltage and current characteristic testing. It has a simple and easy-to-use testing process development and parameter setting.

• The standard InForce1000 electromagnetic driver provides up to 1N driving force.

• The integrated high-speed controller electronic device completes high-speed data acquisition up to 100kHz, capturing the instantaneous response of materials, such as sawtooth flow and fracture phenomena. The instrument uses a short time constant of 20 μ s to capture the instantaneous real response of the material.

• A high stiffness framework integrated with noise isolation function ensures accurate measurement of various materials.

• Digital zoom high-resolution optical microscope for accurate positioning of samples.

• Nanoindentation experts teach professional nanoindentation courses online, and mobile applications can provide real-time updates on testing methods.

Measurement principle:

The KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument uses a diamond indenter with a specific geometric shape to quasi-statically press the material surface with a load. It records the changes in load and indentation depth during the loading unloading process in real time, generates a load displacement curve, and calculates parameters such as nanohardness and elastic modulus of the material through curve analysis combined with mechanical models.

Main applications:

Hardness and modulus measurement (OliverPharr)

Mechanical characterization is crucial in the processing and manufacturing of thin films, including coating quality in the automotive industry and process control in the front and back stages of semiconductor manufacturing. KLA iMicro nano indentation instrument can measure the hardness and modulus of various materials from ultra soft gel to hard coating. The high-speed evaluation of these characteristics ensures quality control on the production line.

Distribution of properties of high-speed materials

For many materials, including composite materials, their mechanical properties may vary depending on the location. The sample platform of the KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument can move 100mm in the X-axis and Y-axis, and 25mm in the Z-axis direction, making the system suitable for different sample heights and capable of measuring over large sample areas. The optional NanoBlitz morphology and tomography software can quickly draw color distribution maps of any measured mechanical properties.

ISO14577 Hardness Testing

The KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument includes a pre written ISO14577 testing method that can measure the hardness of materials that comply with the ISO14577 standard. This testing method automatically measures and reports Young's modulus, instrument hardness, Vickers hardness, and standardized indentation.

Polymer TanDelta, storage and loss modulus

The KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument is capable of measuring tandelta and storage and loss moduli for ultra soft materials, including viscoelastic polymers. Storage and loss modulus, as well as tandelta, are important properties of viscoelastic polymers, where energy is stored as elastic energy and dissipated as heat. Both of these indicators are used to measure the energy consumption of a given material.

Quantitative scratch and wear testing

The KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument can perform scratch and wear tests on various materials. Coatings and films undergo multiple processes such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and wire bonding to test the strength of the film and its adhesion to the substrate. It is important that these materials resist plastic deformation in these processes and remain in their original state without substrate blistering. Ideally, dielectric materials should have high hardness and elastic modulus, as these parameters help determine how the material will react during the manufacturing process.

High temperature nanoindentation test

Nanoindentation at high temperatures is crucial for characterizing material properties under thermal stress, particularly for quantifying failure mechanisms in thermomechanical processes. Changing the sample temperature during mechanical testing can not only measure the behavior changes caused by heat, but also quantify the transition plasticity of materials that are difficult to test at the nanoscale.

Industry applications:

Technical advantages:

• Continuous Stiffness Measurement (CSM)

• NanoBlitz3D Rapid Mechanical Performance Distribution

• NanoBlitz4D mechanical performance tomography

• ProbeDM Polymer Testing

• AccuFil thin film method

• Sample heating at 300 ° C

• International standardized nanoindentation testing

Upgrade options:

Scratch and Wear Test Options

Scratch and wear testing can be used to characterize various materials such as thin films, brittle ceramics, and polymers by applying a constant or increasing longitudinal load to the probe as it passes through the sample surface.

Biological soft material testing options

The biological material testing method utilizes continuous stiffness testing CSM to characterize the modulus of biological soft materials with a modulus of about 1kPa, including a flat bottom indenter and a testing method for measuring the storage loss modulus of soft materials,

DataBurst Test Options

The DataBurst mode triggers data acquisition at speeds up to 100kHz, capturing the instantaneous response of the material, such as sawtooth flow and fracture phenomena; Allow measurement of mechanical properties of high strain rate materials under step loading; The instrument uses a shorter time constant to help customers capture the instantaneous real response of the material.

InView Open Software Writing Platform

InView adopts an open software development platform to assist customers in controlling loading, measurement, and computation during the testing process. Used for designing novel or complex experiments. Open software development platforms provide customers with greater flexibility: helping them easily collect raw test data and use the final analysis results; Customers can browse, edit calculation formulas, customize parameters, and achieve personalized experimental design; Users can freely design and change experimental parameters and processes, providing possibilities for exploring new experimental tests.

TrueTestI-V electrical testing

The TrueTestI-V option allows users to apply specific voltages to the sample and measure the current of the indenter to characterize local changes in electrical properties during nanomechanical measurements.

Active vibration isolation with modular rack

On the basis of the built-in passive isolation of the KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument, active isolation is added to provide good stability and accuracy for achieving difficult nanomechanical measurements such as ultra-thin films. The active isolation system reduces vibrations in all six degrees of freedom without the need for adjustment.

High precision linear optical encoder platform

The linear optical encoder (LOE) option improves the positioning accuracy of the testing process and is used for micro structure positioning.

Pressure probe and calibration sample

The interchangeable indenters for InForce50, InForce1000, and Gemini drivers include Berkovich, solid angle, Vickers, as well as flat bottomed and spherical indenters.

Measurement chart of KLA iMicro nanoindentation instrument: