Abstract
Nanoindentation has been used to explore the plasticity onset under contact loading in InP. Under low indenting loads ranging between 0.2 and 10mN, fracture of the sample is avoided and plastic zones can be observed by transmission electron microscopy. The zone-size variation with load could be measured and analysed using the work of Johnson and of Kramer et al. The results were compared with those obtained in GaAs deformed under the same conditions. Furthermore, characterization of the dislocations was made and it was shown that the twinning formation in InP differed strongly from that in GaAs. The results are compared with previously reported arrangements obtained in the microindentation domain.
