Nanoindentation is a versatile material characterization technique that uses an extremely hard tip to probe the surface of a sample by creating precise indentations to measure surface mechanical properties. This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a state-of-the-art nanoindenter to build interdisciplinary collaborations and expand fundamental research activities in the areas of nanomaterials, metamaterials, microelectronics, high temperature coatings, tribology, antifouling surfaces, polymers, and thin film coatings. It will provide enhanced infrastructure for fundamental research at Lamar University and nearby institutions and will enable faculty and students to collaborate in the development of emerging technology at the university's recently established Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (CICE). Undergraduate and graduate students will participate in research and gain an understanding of small-scale characterization and multi-scale behavior of advanced materials and the instrumentation will be used in university outreach to the community, K-12 and underrepresented minorities. The nanoindenter will be made broadly available to the research community and information on the instrumentation will be disseminated through an annual workshop, professional conferences, a website and targeted outreach activities through CICE.
A nanoindenter measures mechanical/tribological properties such as hardness, modulus, friction, adhesion, creep, and damping down to sub-nm length scale. It can be used to characterize not only nanostructures, but also bulk materials-- by conducting numerous measurements rapidly and precisely. The instrumentation will be equipped with a highly precise 2D transducer with shear force capabilities, high temperature stage, high load transducer for tribology applications, dynamic mechanical analysis and property in-situ surface mapping, making it a versatile tool that enables a wide range of fundamental research activities. The instrument will enable the study of the surface reliability, failure mechanisms and contact mechanics of conventional and advanced materials, as well as thin films, for applications such as advanced photovoltaic solar panels, MEMS, antifouling surfaces and microelectronics. The nanoindenter will also enable the design of new material systems ranging from micro to nano scale with close control over their structures and physio-chemical properties and will serve as a platform to study how to tune the mechanical properties of one- and two-dimensional nanostructures through atomically deposited coatings.
