Nanoindentation Investigation on the Size-Dependent Creep Behavior in a Zr-Cu-Ag-Al Bulk Metallic Glass

Nanoindentation technology has been widely adopted to study creep behavior in small regions. However, nanoindentation creep behavior of metallic glass is still not well understood. In the present work, we investigated nanoindentation size effects on creep deformation in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass at room temperature. The total creep strain and strain rate of steady-state creep were gradually decreased with increasing holding depth under a Berkovich indenter, indicating a length-scale-dependent creep resistance. For a spherical indenter, creep deformations were insignificant in elastic regions and then greatly enhanced by increasing holding strain in plastic regions. Strain rate sensitivities (SRS) decreased with increasing holding depth and holding strain at first, and then stabilized as holding depth was beyond about 500 nm for both indenters. SRS values were 0.4–0.5 in elastic regions, in which atomic diffusion and free volume migration could be the creep mechanism. On the other hand, evolution of the shear transformation zone was suggested as a creep mechanism in plastic regions, and the corresponding SRS values were in the range of 0.05 to 0.3.