Thin coatings thickness measurement by augmented nanoindentation data fusion

SEE OUR PUBLICATION: G. Genta, G. Maculotti. Thin coatings thickness measurement by augmented nanoindentation data fusion (1.28 MB). CIRP Annals, (2024), 10.1016/j.cirp.2024.04.093

Abstract: Layer thickness of thin and multi-layer coatings is a major design parameter to functionalise surfaces in a broad range of industrial applications. Conventional measurement methods are often complex, expensive, and limited in thickness range and applicability, particularly for thin coatings on fragile substrates and/or with complex compositions. An innovative methodology is introduced based on nanoindentation, leveraging data fusion and nanoindentation augmentation with in-situ current measurement, to evaluate functional and physical layer thickness by material properties and statistical modelling techniques. Two cases concerning coatings for semiconductor and tribomechanical applications are described, exhibiting faster, cheaper, and metrologically competitive results over current techniques.