At the nanometer scale, thin film coating represents unique enhancement in terms of mechanical properties compared to conventional coating. Even though deposition process and characterization of such films have been widely reported in the literature, quantitative mechanical measurement remains difficult. Measurements made on thin films bonded on thick substrate often show the substrate properties.

Among the discussed characterization techniques, Nanoindentation provides material properties measurements and can directly be compared to well-established Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). Traditional nanoindentation refers to quasi static indentation testing in the submicrometer range. In such measurements, a diamond tip is pressed into the sample, load and displacement of the probe are recorded and analysis models based on load displacement data can be then interpreted to obtain mechanical properties of the sample.

In contrast to quasi-static measurements, Nanoindentation can be used in ac mode by modulating the force and /or the displacement; this mode enables quantitative studies of dynamic mechanical properties like viscoelasticity and can be compared to classical Force Modulation Microscopy (FMM). Existing dynamic nanoindentation setups are based on force modulation while FMM is operated in both force and sample modulation.

We have realized a dynamical nanoindentation setup, Local-Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (L-DMA), based on both sample and tip modulation, in order to allow a direct comparison between those techniques and consistent quantitative mechanical measurement.

Bulk materials as well as thin films of ceramics and polymers have been used for testing and validating the setup. The instrument has been modelled in sample modulation mode and experimental results obtained for different materials where compared with simulation data.

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