This paper presents the results of the experimental study of nano and micro indentation size effect on selected (001) oriented face centered cubic (FCC) crystals (Ni, Au, and Ag). Following a detailed description of experimental techniques and correction factors, indentation size effects in (001) oriented Au, Ag, and Ni single crystals are elucidated. Material pile-up phenomena are discussed before analyzing the results within the context of mechanism-based strain gradient plasticity (SGP) theories. Microstructure length scales are calculated based on the analysis. These are shown to vary with indentation size. A bi-linear behavior is shown to describe the indentation size effects between the micro-and nano-scales. This is rationalized by considering the limiting cases of plastic deformation by source-limited and established dislocation substructures. A multi-scale framework is proposed for modeling small contacts.
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