Submit to Nanomaterials Review for Nanomaterials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanophotonics Materials and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2020) | Viewed by 35533

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Nigel Jennett

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Research Institute for Future Transport and Cities & Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xiaodong Hou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Centre of Excellence for Advanced Materials, Dongguan, China

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We warmly invite you to submit papers for publication, containing original research describing advances in nano-mechanical testing of materials or devices, and/or the research and development of nano-enabled materials. This may include, among other things:

Nano-scale measurements of materials or the measured properties of nanomaterials (such as: mechanical, tribological, fatigue); particularly welcome are reports of new properties or properties with a clear route to exploitation.
New or improved models, test methods, test protocols, and or testing devices applicable to small volume testing or the testing of nanomaterials.
Research and development into defining and overcoming the challenges of predicting larger-scale properties or performance from test results obtained at smaller length-scales; including investigations of plasticity and other size effects and the development of length-scale enabled constitutive models.

This Special Issue is also ideally suited to key overview or key conclusions papers or other high impact work from collaborative projects where instant open access is desirable, e.g., to satisfy funding body rapid open access requirements, and to accelerate impact.

Prof. Dr. Nigel Jennett
Dr. Xiaodong Hou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Nano-scale
Nano-mechanical
size effects
nanomaterials
nano-metrology
small scale testing
length-scale enabled constitutive properties

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (10 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 4630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Nanomechanical Responses of Interfacial Intermetallic Compound Layers and Impact Reliability of Solder Joints

by Jenn-Ming Song, Bo-Chang Huang, David Tarng, Chih-Pin Hung and Kiyokazu Yasuda

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(8), 1456; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081456 - 25 Jul 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2687

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate solder joint reliability under high speed impact tests using nanoindentation properties of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the joint interface. Sn–Ag based solder joints with different kinds of interfacial IMCs were obtained through the design of solder alloy/substrate material combinations. Nanoindentation was applied to investigate the mechanical properties of IMCs, including hardness, Young’s modulus, work hardening exponent, yield strength, and plastic ability. Experimental results suggest that nanoindentation responses of IMCs at joint interface definitely dominates joint impact performance. The greater the plastic ability the interfacial IMC exhibits, the superior impact energy the solder joints possess. The concept of mechanical and geometrical discontinuities was also proposed to explain brittle fracture of the solder joints with bi-layer interfacial IMCs subject to impact load. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

17 pages, 5894 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vertically-Aligned Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tube Pillars with Various Diameters under Compression: Pristine and NbTiN Coated

by Amir Mirza Gheitaghy, René H. Poelma, Leandro Sacco, Sten Vollebregt and Guo Qi Zhang

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(6), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061189 - 18 Jun 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3125

Abstract

In this paper, the compressive stress of pristine and coated vertically-aligned (VA) multi-walled (MW) carbon nanotube (CNT) pillars were investigated using flat-punch nano-indentation. VA-MWCNT pillars of various diameters (30–150 µm) grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition on silicon wafer. A conformal brittle coating of niobium-titanium-nitride with high superconductivity temperature was deposited on the VA-MWCNT pillars using atomic layer deposition. The coating together with the pillars could form a superconductive vertical interconnect. The indentation tests showed foam-like behavior of pristine CNTs and ceramic-like fracture of conformal coated CNTs. The compressive strength and the elastic modulus for pristine CNTs could be divided into three regimes of linear elastic, oscillatory plateau, and exponential densification. The elastic modulus of pristine CNTs increased for a smaller pillar diameter. The response of the coated VA-MWCNTs depended on the diffusion depth of the coating in the pillar and their elastic modulus increased with pillar diameter due to the higher sidewall area. Tuning the material properties by conformal coating on various diameter pillars enhanced the mechanical performance and the vertical interconnect access (via) reliability. The results could be useful for quantum computing applications that require high-density superconducting vertical interconnects and reliable operation at reduced temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Size Distribution, Mechanical and Electrical Properties of CuO Nanowires Grown by Modified Thermal Oxidation Methods

by Raitis Sondors, Jelena Kosmaca, Gunta Kunakova, Liga Jasulaneca, Matiss Martins Ramma, Raimonds Meija, Edijs Kauranens, Mikk Antsov and Donats Erts

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(6), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061051 - 29 May 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3476

Abstract

Size distribution, Young’s moduli and electrical resistivity are investigated for CuO nanowires synthesized by different thermal oxidation methods. Oxidation in dry and wet air were applied for synthesis both with and without an external electrical field. An increased yield of high aspect ratio nanowires with diameters below 100 nm is achieved by combining applied electric field and growth conditions with additional water vapour at the first stage of synthesis. Young’s moduli determined from resonance and bending experiments show similar diameter dependencies and increase above 200 GPa for nanowires with diameters narrower than 50 nm. The nanowires synthesized by simple thermal oxidation possess electrical resistivities about one order of magnitude lower than the nanowires synthesized by electric field assisted approach in wet air. The high aspect ratio, mechanical strength and robust electrical properties suggest CuO nanowires as promising candidates for NEMS actuators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5972 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Atomistic Study of Interactions between Intrinsic Kink Defects and Dislocations in Twin Boundaries of Nanotwinned Copper during Nanoindentation

by Xiaowen Hu, Yushan Ni and Zhongli Zhang

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(2), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10020221 - 28 Jan 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3078

Abstract

In order to study the effects of kink-like defects in twin boundaries on deformation mechanisms and interaction between dislocations and defects in twin boundaries under localized load, nanotwinned Cu with two defective twin (TDT) boundaries is compared with the nanotwinned Cu with two perfect twin (TPT) boundaries, and nanotwinned Cu with single defective twin (SDT) boundary and single perfect twin boundary by simulating spherical nanoindentations using molecular mechanics. The indenter force-depth and hardness-contact strain responses were analyzed. Results show that the existence of intrinsic defects in twin boundary could reduce the critical load and critical hardness of nanotwinned material. A quantitative parameter was first proposed to evaluate the degree of surface atom accumulation around the indenter during nanoindentation, and it can be inferred that the surface morphology in TDT changes more frequently than the surface morphologies in TPT and SDT. The atomistic configurations of incipient plastic structures of three different models were also analyzed. We found that the intrinsic defects in twin boundary will affect the incipient plastic structures. The formation of twinning partial slip on the defective twin boundary happens before the contact of the dislocation and twin boundary. The kink-like defects could introduce Frank partial dislocation to the twin boundary during interaction between dislocation and twin boundary, which was not detected on the perfect twin boundary. In addition, the area of twinning partial slips on the upper twin boundary in the incipient plastic structures in SDT and TDT are larger than the twinning partial slip area in TPT, which results in the reduction of the critical hardness in SDT and TDT. The kink-like defects could also block the expansion of twinning partial slip on the twin boundary. Furthermore, we investigated the dislocation transmission processes in three different models. It is found that the dislocation transmission event could be delayed in model containing single defective twin boundary, while the transmission process could be advanced in model containing two consecutive defective twin boundaries. The quantitative analysis of dislocation length was also implemented. Result shows that the main emitted dislocation during nanoindentation is Shockley partial, and the dislocation nucleation in SDT and TDT is earlier than the dislocation nucleation in TPT due to the existence of defects. It is inferred that the intrinsic defects on twin boundaries could enhance the interaction between dislocations and twin boundaries, and could strongly change the structure evolution and promote the dislocation nucleation and emission. These findings about kink-like defects in twin boundaries show that the inherent kink-like defects play a crucial role in the deformation mechanisms and it should be taken into consideration in future investigations. Single defective twin boundary structure is recommended to delay the transmission and block the expansion of twin boundary migration. Some of the results are in good agreement with experiments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 5103 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Application of Nano-MoS₂ Quantum Dots as Liquid Lubricant Additive for Tribological Behavior Improvement

by Junde Guo, Runling Peng, Hang Du, Yunbo Shen, Yue Li, Jianhui Li and Guangneng Dong

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(2), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10020200 - 23 Jan 2020

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 4285

Abstract

Molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS₂ QDs) are a promising lubricant additive for enhanced engine efficiency. In this study, MoS₂ QDs were used as lubricating oil additives for ball-on-disc contact and had adequate dispersity in paroline oil, due to their super small particle size (~3 nm). Tribological results indicate that the friction coefficient of paroline oil with 0.3 wt.% MoS₂ QDs reached 0.061, much lower than that of pure paroline oil (0.169), which is due to the formation of a stable tribo-film formed by the MoS₂, MoO₃, FeS, and FeSO₄ composite within the wear track. Synergistic lubrication effects of the tribo-film and ball-bearing effect cooperatively resulted in the lowest friction and wear. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 3821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Round Robin into Best Practices for the Determination of Indentation Size Effects

by Ana Ruiz-Moreno, Peter Hähner, Lukasz Kurpaska, Jacek Jagielski, Philippe Spätig, Michal Trebala, Simo-Pekka Hannula, Susana Merino, Gonzalo de Diego, Hygreeva Namburi, Ondrej Libera, Dimitry Terentyev, Tymofii Khvan, Cornelia Heintze and Nigel Jennett

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(1), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10010130 - 10 Jan 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3908

Abstract

The paper presents a statistical study of nanoindentation results obtained in seven European laboratories that have joined a round robin exercise to assess methods for the evaluation of indentation size effects. The study focuses on the characterization of ferritic/martensitic steels T91 and Eurofer97, envisaged as structural materials for nuclear fission and fusion applications, respectively. Depth-controlled single cycle measurements at various final indentation depths, force-controlled single cycle and force-controlled progressive multi-cycle measurements using Berkovich indenters at room temperature have been combined to calculate the indentation hardness and the elastic modulus as a function of depth applying the Oliver and Pharr method. Intra- and inter-laboratory variabilities have been evaluated. Elastic modulus corrections have been applied to the hardness data to compensate for materials related systematic errors, like pile-up behaviour, which is not accounted for by the Oliver and Pharr theory, and other sources of instrumental or methodological bias. The correction modifies the statistical hardness profiles and allows determining more reliable indentation size effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 6590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revealing Nanoindentation Size-Dependent Creep Behavior in a La-Based Metallic Glassy Film

by Yi Ma, Yuxuan Song and Taihua Zhang

Nanomaterials 2019, 9(12), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9121712 - 1 Dec 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2539

Abstract

We systematically studied nanoindentation size effect on creep deformation in a La-based metallic glassy film, including holding depth effect and indenter size effect. Creep displacement was mainly dependent on both holding strain and deformation volume beneath indenter. Under elastic holding, creep strain was merely holding strain–dependent. While for plastic holding, creep strain was greatly enhanced by adopting smaller indenter and/or decreasing holding depth at the same holding strain. A strong nanoindentation size effect on creep resistance was validated. Strain rate sensitivities (SRS) were calculated, which were obviously higher at elastic regions than at plastic holdings. The relationship between SRS value and creep mechanism in metallic glass was discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Mechanical Characterization of Carbon Nanofiber Reinforced Low-Density Polyethylene by Nanoindentation and Comparison with Bulk Properties

by Peyman Nikaeen, Dilip Depan and Ahmed Khattab

Nanomaterials 2019, 9(10), 1357; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9101357 - 22 Sep 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3284

Abstract

Surface mechanical properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) reinforced by carbon nanofibers (CNFs) up to 3% weight load were investigated using nanoindentation (NI). Surface preparation of the nanocomposite was thoroughly investigated and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to analyze the surface roughness of the polished surfaces. The dispersion of nanofillers in the LDPE matrix was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of various penetration loads on the results and scattering of the data points was discussed. It was found by NI results that the addition of 3% weight CNF increased the elastic modulus of LDPE by 59% and its hardness up to 12%. The nano/micro-scale results were compared with macro-scale results obtained by the conventional tensile test as well as the theoretical results calculated by the Halpin-Tsai (HT) model. It was found that the modulus calculated by nanoindentation was twice that obtained by the conventional tensile test which was shown to be in excellent agreement with the HT model. Experimental results indicated that the addition of CNF to LDPE reduced its wear resistance property by reducing the hardness to modulus ratio. SEM micrographs of the semicrystalline microstructure of the CNF/LDPE nanocomposite along with the calculated NI imprints volume were examined to elaborate on how increasing the penetration depth resulted in a reduction of the coefficient of variation of the NI data/more statistically reliable data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quasicontinuum Simulation of the Effect of Lotus-Type Nanocavity on the Onset Plasticity of Single Crystal Al during Nanoindentation

by Jianfeng Jin, Peijun Yang, Jingyi Cao, Shaojie Li and Qing Peng

Nanomaterials 2018, 8(10), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8100778 - 30 Sep 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2997

Abstract

Stress concentration around nanosized defects such as cavities always leads to plastic deformation and failure of solids. We investigate the effects of depth, size, and shape of a lotus-type nanocavity on onset plasticity of single crystal Al during nanoindentation on a (001) surface using a quasicontinuum method. The results show that the presence of a nanocavity can greatly affect the contact stiffness (S_c) and yield stress (σ_y) of the matrix during nanoindentation. For a circular cavity, the S_c and σ_y gradually increase with the cavity depth. A critical depth can be identified, over which the S_c and σ_y are insensitive to the cavity depth and it is firstly observed that the nucleated dislocations extend into the matrix and form a y-shaped structure. Moreover, the critical depth varies approximately linearly with the indenter size, regarding the same cavity. The S_c almost linearly decreases with the cavity diameter, while the σ_y is slightly affected. For an ellipsoidal cavity, the S_c and σ_y increase with the aspect ratio (AR), while they are less affected when the AR is over 1. Our results shed light in the mechanical behavior of metals with cavities and could also be helpful in designing porous materials and structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward Accurate Quantitative Elasticity Mapping of Rigid Nanomaterials by Atomic Force Microscopy: Effect of Acquisition Frequency, Loading Force, and Tip Geometry

by Guanghong Zeng, Kai Dirscherl and Jørgen Garnæs

Nanomaterials 2018, 8(8), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8080616 - 14 Aug 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5063

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a popular tool for the mechanical mapping of soft nanomaterials due to its high spatial and force resolution. Its applications in rigid nanomaterials, however, have been underexplored. In this work, we studied elasticity mapping of common rigid materials by AFM, with a focus on factors that affect the accuracy of elasticity measurements. We demonstrated the advantages in speed and noise level by using high frequency mechanical mapping compared to the classical force volume mapping. We studied loading force dependency, and observed a consistent pattern on all materials, where measured elasticity increased with loading force before stabilizing. Tip radius was found to have a major impact on the accuracy of measured elasticity. The blunt tip with 200 nm radius measured elasticity with deviation from nominal values up to 13% in different materials, in contrast to 122% by the sharp tip with 40 nm radius. Plastic deformation is believed to be the major reason for this difference. Sharp tips, however, still hold advantages in resolution and imaging capability for nanomaterials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Nano Mechanical Testing of Materials and Devices

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (10 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI