Mapping strain fields induced in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses during in-situ nanoindentation by X-ray nanodiffraction

A pioneer in-situ synchrotron X-ray nanodiffraction approach for characterization and visualization of strain fields induced by nanoindentation in amorphous materials is introduced. In-situ nanoindentation experiments were performed in transmission mode using a monochromatic and highly focused sub-micron X-ray beam on 40 mu m thick Zr-based bulk metallic glass under two loading conditions. Spatially resolved X-ray diffraction scans in the deformed volume of Zr-based bulk metallic glass covering an area of 40 x 40 mu m(2) beneath the pyramidal indenter revealed two-dimensional map of elastic strains. The largest value of compressive elastic strain calculated from diffraction data at 1 N load was -0.65%. The region of high elastic compressive strains (<-0.3%) is located beneath the indenter tip and has radius of 7 mu m. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.