MEASURING HEAD FOR NANOINDENTATION INSTRUMENT AND MEASURING METHOD

A measuring head for a nano-indentation instrument, said nano-indentation instrument comprising a positioning system arranged to position a sample relative to the measuring head, the measuring head comprising: a measuring subsystem attached to a frame adapted to be connected to the nano-indentation instrument, the measuring subsystem comprising a first actuator and an indenter adapted to indent a surface of said sample under application of a force applied by the first actuator on the indenter, the measuring subsystem further comprising a force sensing system adapted to detect said force applied by the first actuator; a reference subsystem attached to said frame, the reference subsystem comprising a second actuator, a reference structure in operative connection with the second actuator, and a separation detector adapted to determine a predetermined separation of the reference structure and said surface of said sample.