Nanoindentation and nanotribology are fundamental, evolving, and complementary disciplines within materials science. In recent years there has been rapid convergence of the biomechanical and materials disciplines, as well as explosive growth of the nanotube and nanostructured materials fields. The expansion of nanomechanical testing into these new fields has been accompanied by similarly rapid growth in our understanding of, and ability to perform, mechanical tests with ever-smaller forces and displacements. The understanding of fundamental mechanical measurement techniques must continue to advance to design new systems and materials to meet the challenges of technology. This book is a snapshot of the state of the art in nanoindentation and nanotribology, and highlights emerging topics including the development of new methods for characterizing nanoscale mechanical and tribological properties. Additional topics include: size effects and indentation of thin films; nanotribology and friction; modeling, simulation and analysis of indentation data and nanomechanics of polymers, time-dependent characterization.
