Nanoindentation characteristics of clamped freestanding Cu membranes

This research employed instrumented nanoindentation to address the issue of bending to stretching-induced deformation of clamped freestanding Cu membranes. The experimental results show that indentation-induced plastic deformation only comes into effect at the centre and the indented edge of the Cu membrane when the indenter is applied, while the other locations remain undamaged. A step-by-step evolution was presumed for the time histories of the bending to stretching-induced deformation and for the timing of the significant change in slope of the load-deflection curve. Deformation was deliberately introduced at the transition from the single-point bending indentation to the surface stretching indentation at the impact location touched with the indenter. Good elastic recovery was found at locations away from the indenter. A similar finding can be arrived at by means of finite element analysis.