Materials Characterization

- Nanoindentation -

Agilent Nano Indenter G200

CALCE uses an Agilent Nano Indenter G200 to measure material properties such as hardness, modulus and creep. The G200 can measure a wide variety of hardness, including polymeric, ceramic and metallic materials. The indenter uses a Berkovich tip, with an apex of only 20 nanometers and has a maximum force of 10 Newtons. At CALCE, we have been using this for the measurement of the mechanical properties of solder alloys-specifically lead-free solder alloys-for simulation purposes.

We also use the G200 to:

  • Study the creep of solder alloys
  • Study the mechanical properties of polymeric materials
  • Study the susceptibility to crack in multilayer ceramic capacitors
  • Observe material delamination through scratch testing
  • Perform continuous stiffness measurements
The G200 is equipped with a heating stage, which allows us to perform crack and indentation tests at a wide variety of temperatures-up to 350 °C. We can also measure force in the x and y axes, which allows performing scratch tests.

For more information on services we can provide through nano indentation, please contact us.