Abstract
Indentation contact mechanics has been intensively as well as extensively growing through the recent upsurge of micro/nano-science and engineering. The scientific significance of the mechanical properties in micro/nano-scales is first addressed in comparison to those in macro-scales. Due to the extremely complicated stress/strain field generated beneath a pyramidal indentation, the mechanical properties (elastic, elastoplastic, viscoelastic properties and fracture resistance parameters) measured in indentation tests includes crucial uncertainties in their definition, physical meaning, and their practical comprehension. The author addresses in detail the history, theoretical framework, experimental studies, and the problems/issues remaining unsolved in the current indentation contact mechanics.
