Deformation and fracture of TiN coating on a Si(1Â 1Â 1) substrate during nanoindentation

► Permanent trigonal impressions and radial plastic grooves are confined within the contact regions even though the peak displacement increases to 1500 nm. ► When the peak displacement increases to 2500 nm, an interfacial fracture is observed using both SEM micrograph and in situ AFM images. ► Interfacial fractures determined by SEM micrographs are more accurate than those determined by in situ AFM images. ► The interfacial fracture mechanism can be investigated by either nanoindentation experiment or nanoscratch test.