It was recalled that nano-indentation drove various deformation mechanisms. This was investigated, for the case of nanocrystalline material, by means of parallel molecular dynamics simulations. The indenter was applied to the grain boundary, or to the grain interior. The inter-atomic interaction was modelled by using the Lennard-Jones potential and the embedded atom method potential. The burst and arrest of stacking faults were the keys to the plastic deformation of nanocrystalline material under nano-indentation. This contrasted sharply with the case of nano-indentation of monocrystalline material. The (descending) order of indentation resistance was: single crystal (or large-grained polycrystal); nanocrystal indented at grain interior; and nanocrystal indented at grain boundary.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Burst and Arrest of Stacking Faults in Nanocrystalline Cu under Nano-Indentation. X.L.Ma, W.Yang: Nanotechnology, 2003, 14[11], 1208-15