An indentation method to measure the CRSS of semiconducting materials at elevated temperature

An indentation method that allows to determine the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) of semiconductors as a function of temperature is described. Specimens have to be thinned in such a way, that plastic flow throughout the thickness is generated. Assuming mechanical equilibrium allows to extract the CRSS from the plastic-zone perimeter evolution with changing load. At elevated temperature, we have estimated the thermal gradient in the specimens between the diamond tip and the heating stage and its influence on the local mechanical properties. The map of the temperature around the indent site allows to define an average CRSS of the material which is successfully compared with our experimental results.