Nanoindentation & the Oliver-Pharr Method (2D)

Nanoindentation measures hardness and elastic modulus at micro- and nano-scale by pressing a diamond tip of known geometry into a surface and recording the load-displacement (P-h) response, rather than by imaging a residual imprint under a microscope as older hardness tests do. This 2D cross-section view drives a Berkovich-equivalent wedge indenter through a full load-hold-unload cycle on five real materials — from soft aluminum to sapphire — traces the resulting P-h curve live with its distinct loading and elastic-unloading branches, and then applies the Oliver-Pharr method to the initial slope of the unloading segment to recover contact stiffness, contact area, hardness and reduced elastic modulus, exactly as the analysis software in a real nanoindenter does.