What is "nanoindentation"

n. (context nanotechnology English) An indentation test carried out at nanoscale, such as by use of a nanoindenter

Nanoindentation is a variety of indentation hardness tests applied to small volumes. Indentation is perhaps the most commonly applied means of testing the mechanical properties of materials. The nanoindentation technique was developed in the mid-1970s to measure the hardness of small volumes of material.