Nanoindentation

Measures local hardness and elastic modulus by pressing a sharp, calibrated tip into a surface at very small length scales.

References

• Oliver, W.C., Pharr, G.M. "An Improved Technique for Determining Hardness and Elastic Modulus Using Load and Displacement Sensing Indentation Experiments." Journal of Materials Research 7, no. 6 (1992): 1564–1583.