Thermal evolution of deformation zones around microindentations in different types of crystal

Abstract Several structural levels of plastic deformation (the superdefect zone, the quasidestructured region, the region with a high dislocation density, the peripheral zone and the region of elastic deformation) have been distinguished around microindentations of various crystal types. The real structure of the deformed zone essentially depends on both the crystal type and the deformation temperature. Four temperature stages (brittle, brittle-plastic, plastic and ductile-plastic) have been noted in the wide temperature interval (T ≈ (0.1-0.9)T ml). It has been revealed that crystals with various types of bond can undergo similar thermal evolution behaviours of the defect structure around the indentation.