Calibration of Nanoindentation Systems Based on the Reference Hardness of a Fused Silica

Indirect calibration of a nanoindentation system was performed by deriving a reference loading curve. This reference load-depth relationship was accomplished by assuming a perfect nanoindentation test on an ideal reference material; if all components in a nanoindentation system are well calibrated and the reference material has unique hardness and Young's modulus, the indentation depth can be formulated with a function of the indentation load having two parts of contact and surrounding elastic depths. Substituting both the hardness and Young's modulus of a fused silica into the derived function, the reference loading curve was plotted and directly compared with experimental data of the fused silica measured by two commercial nanoindenters. All indentation loading curves showed leftward shifts compared to the reference loading curve, and this is discussed, offering two reasons for the result, system compliance and indenter apex geometry.