FemtoTools AG

We have presented our expertise at Sirris | Innovation forward in spraying of functional #nanocellulose coatings in a recent publication in Surface and Coatings Technology, combining the experimental optimization of the spraying process for different nanocellulose grades and the characterization of the mechanical coating properties by nano-indenation measurements. This marks a fundamental study for the further development of more robust #biobased #coatings with enhanced lifetime. A huge thanks for the excellent collaboration in mechanical characterization with Joris Everaerts, Kento Takahashi and Akshay Mundayadan Chandroth at Materials Engineering | KU Leuven (MTM)

When Small Changes Matter: High-Sensitivity Nanoindentation for Microstructural Analysis ⚡ Even the smallest mechanical variations can reveal critical insights about material performance. High-sensitivity nanoindentation mapping captures these details at high resolution, providing insight into phase transformations and microstructural modifications. In this example, a dispersoid-modified aluminum alloy was analyzed using high-sensitivity nanoindentation with the i04 Femto-Indenter, performing 37,500 indents spaced 1 µm apart on a 150 µm × 250 µm grid. The mapping reveals hardness variations as small as ΔH = 0.3 GPa, capturing the influence of new phase formations on mechanical response. 🔎 Curious to see mechanical microscopy in action? Discover how the combination of EBSD, EDS, and nanoindentation helps correlate composition, structure, and mechanical behavior at the link below. 👉 Discover Mechanical Microscopy at: https://lnkd.in/edrXyiMX #Nanoindentation #MaterialScience #MechanicalMicroscopy #MicrostructureAnalysis #Metals #Nanoindenter

Understanding Fatigue Limits in Rail Wheels with Micro-Cantilever Testing 🚆 Rail wheels endure extreme mechanical and thermal stresses, leading over time to the formation of fatigue structures, such as brown etching layers (BEL), which may define the lifetime limit of the metallic component. In a recent study by M. Freisinger et al., in-situ micro-cantilever bending was used to assess the mechanical response of three near-surface fatigue microstructures in typical tribological contacts, including the BEL. The study examined a rail wheel after service, where BEL was detected in the near-surface region next to a propagating crack. Micro-cantilevers were carefully prepared using focused ion beam (FIB) within the BEL region to investigate its residual strength and localized mechanical behavior (Figure a). Testing was conducted using the NMT04 In-Situ SEM Nanoindenter equipped with a diamond wedge inside a Zeiss Sigma 500 VP microscope. The open-frame geometry of the nanoindenter system allowed direct lateral observation of both the probe and sample, ensuring precise alignment (Figure b) and enabling the real-time observation (Figures c-d) of deformation mechanisms during mechanical testing. The test was performed in displacement-controlled mode at 20 nm/s. The results (Figure e) reveal a maximum stress of 70–80 N/mm² during bending. The BEL exhibited predominant plastic behavior without crack initiation at the notch, indicating a relatively low risk for crack propagation through the BEL in rail wheels. 🔎 Interested in how materials evolve under extreme conditions? Discover how in-situ micro-mechanical testing, from micro-cantilever bending to micro-pillar compression, is advancing our understanding of material behavior by downloading the application note at the link below. 👉 Explore in-situ micromechanical testing at: https://lnkd.in/eCyF74K3 #Tribology #Fatigue #MaterialsScience #microscopy #Railway #Nanoindentation #Metals #Steel

Hardness Testing Beyond the Single Indent: Unraveling Mechanical Properties at the Microscale 📍 Hardness testing has long been a key tool in material characterization. Traditional methods, like the Vickers hardness test, analyze a single large indent, providing only an averaged mechanical response of the microstructure underneath. While performing multiple indents can hint at property distributions, these methods often lack the spatial resolution and statistical significance needed to fully distinguish microstructural variations. With nanoindentation, mechanical analysis can now be performed at the microstructural level. Using displacement-controlled nanoindenters like the i04 Femto-Indenter, it is possible to execute grids of more than 100'000 indents across phases with sharply different properties, while maintaining a consistent indent size—key for performing indents spaced less than 1 µm apart. This enables the statistical determination of mechanical properties across different phases and components, with a resolution comparable to conventional microscopy techniques. 🔎 In this example, an indentation map of a WC-Co coating on steel was performed, revealing mechanical property variations across the microstructure. With this level of detail, researchers and engineers can optimize coatings, improve failure analysis, and gain deeper insights into material behavior at the microscale. 👉 Explore more about mechanical microscopy at: https://lnkd.in/dr6wYnX7 #MechanicalMicroscopy #Nanoindentation #MaterialsScience #Steel #Coatings

Measuring Shear Stress in Microneedles 🧪 Microneedles (MNs) are gaining traction in biomedical applications drug delivery and diagnostic. A recent study by Ritu Das et al. explores the resistance of semi-rigid microneedles fabricated from polylactide (PLA) to shear stress, to simulate the resistance to penetration in the skin. To assess the mechanical properties of the microneedles array, an FT-MTA03 Mechanical Testing and Assembly System was employed. The upper section of the microneedle was sheared using a 2-axis micro-force sensing probe at 2/3 of the MNs height. The force sensor applied shear force at a controlled rate of 1.2 µm/s, with data sampled at 43 Hz. The resulting shear test data enabled the creation of a relationship between shear force per needle and the displacement of the sheared surface. The findings supported that MNs fabricated from flexible polylactide (PLA) can effectively penetrate the skin while maintaining structural integrity. 🔎 Discover more about how the nanoindenter can automatically test large arrays of micro-structures by downloading the related application note at the link below. 👉 Explore micro-array testing at https://lnkd.in/ebRTTxWz #Microneedles #ShearStress #Biomechanics #MedicalDevices #Nanoindentation #MicrocompressionTesting

Thrilled to announce the publication of our latest collaboration! We were honored to contribute to this research by conducting nanoindentation testing using our FemtoTools NMT04 machine. A big thank you to the authors for the opportunity to work together on this exciting project. https://lnkd.in/daDqStG6 #Nanoindentation #FemtoTools #NiTi #ShapeMemoryAlloy #BinderJet #Nanohardness

Cracking the Code of Sintered Joints: A Microscale Look at Ag/Si Interfaces! 🔬 How does high-temperature aging impact sintered joints at the microscale? A recent study by Tomoki Matsuda et al. investigates the mechanical behavior of Ag/Si sintered joints after 1000 hours of thermal storage at 250°C. Using the FemtoTools NMT04 In-Situ SEM Nanoindenter, the team conducted microscale tensile tests to track how localized strength evolves over time. The GIF below illustrates the stress-strain curve alongside real-time SEM images, capturing the entire fracture process in detail. As the micro-tensile test progressed, cracks initiated at the notch and gradually spread into the oxygen-containing sintered Ag regions. Over time, the failure path followed the weakest zones at the interface, ultimately leading to complete fracture. This level of insight would not have been possible with force-controlled systems, where the sample would have failed instantly, preventing the calculation of the true interfacial strength of the metal-silicon substrate interface. Understanding these fracture mechanisms is essential for enhancing power electronics packaging and ensuring long-term reliability in high-temperature applications. By combining microscale tensile testing with real-time imaging, researchers can better predict material behavior and optimize sintered joint performance. 🔎 Discover how in-situ SEM micro-mechanical testing is revolutionising silicon research at the link below. 👉 Find out more at https://lnkd.in/eq-5RCcH #Sintering #SEM #MicroTensileTesting #Nanoindenter #Fracture #PowerElectronics #Silicon #HighTemperature

Celebrating 33 Years of the Oliver-Pharr Nanoindentation Method! 🎉 Thirty-three years ago, W.C. Oliver and G.M. Pharr revolutionized materials science with their groundbreaking paper, "An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments." Published in 1992 and now cited over 20'000 times, this method transformed nanoindentation from a semi-qualitative to a quantitative technique, quickly becoming the gold standard in nanoindentation-based materials characterization. Since 1992, nanoindentation has undergone significant evolution. By performing thousands of indents in a closely spaced grid, high-resolution indentation mapping now makes it possible to visualize the local mechanical properties of each phase and constituent within a material with nanometric resolution. 🔎 In the example below, nanoindentation mapping—combined with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) compositional data—was used to determine the mechanical properties across a Ni-Ta diffusion couple. An array of 128 x 100 indents was performed with the i04 Femto-Indenter. The mechanical data was then correlated with compositional data obtained by EDS for the same region of interest. This approach allowed us to successfully identify all seven phases of the Ni-Ta binary system while measuring the mechanical properties of each phase within a single experiment—a revolution for alloy development! 👉 Discover the future of nanoindentation at: https://lnkd.in/eAhHWJWr #Nanoindentation #MaterialsScience #OliverPharr #Engineering #Nanotechnology #Metals #Semicon

Can we make soft magnets twice as strong—without losing their essential properties? 🧲 The next generation of electric motors demands stronger and more efficient soft magnetic materials (SMMs). However, increasing mechanical strength without degrading magnetic properties remains a challenge. A recent study by Liuliu Han et al. used nanoindentation experiments to help solve this materials science puzzle. In their investigation, the group performed indentation tests using an FT-NMT04 In-Situ SEM Nanoindenter to evaluate the strength of SMMs. The experiments were conducted in displacement control mode while oscillating the tip and continuously measuring the material's response using Continuous Stiffness Measurement (CSM). In the video below, SEM images of an indent performed at a grain boundary (marked with orange dashed lines) is presented. An enlarged view of the triple grain boundary region (red frame) and another grain boundary region (blue frame) highlights the shearing of plate-like precipitates perpendicular to slip lines (green arrows). The green dashed lines show slip lines parallel to the longitudinal edge of the plate-like precipitates. This interaction between dislocations and microstructures might hold the key to achieving two-gigapascal-strong ductile soft magnets. 🔎 Measuring mechanical properties at the nanoscale can be challenging, but CSM nanoindentation provides a precise and efficient method for analyzing hardness, modulus, and deformation behavior as a function of penetration depth. 👉 Learn more about CSM nanoindentation at: https://lnkd.in/e9S-4-pT #Nanomechanics #MaterialsScience #Metals #EV #Magnets #Nanoindentation

Ensuring safe nuclear waste management is a serious matter ☢️ At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, Dr. Michel Herm and colleagues are working hard to ensure a safe prolonged dry interim storage of spent nuclear fuel by performing mechanical and micromechanical tests on irradiated cladding materials in challenging environments. We are honored to have the FT-I04 Femto-Indenter installed at the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE). We look forward to supporting Tzu-Yen Lin, Dr. Maria Vrellou, Dr. Tobias König, and their colleagues in using high-resolution nanoindentation mapping to pinpoint the presence of embrittlement phenomena in cladding materials at the nanoscale, along with many other research applications. 🔎 Want to learn more about the FT-I04 Femto-Indenter? 👉 Download the product brochure here: https://lnkd.in/e5uK8tDH #NuclearSafety #Nanoindentation #MaterialsScience #SpentNuclearFuel