Success in the competitive field of nanoindentation measurement often hangs upon depth and load specifications. Competing nanoindentation instruments list resolution capabilities from the pico to the micro ranges. Unfortunately, these specifications are sometimes intentionally misleading. When depth resolution is specified in the pico range, it suggests that depth is controlled and measured at a hundredth of an angstrom. Keeping in mind that an atom is between 62 and 520 picometers (pm) in diameter, it is doubtful that any nanoindentation instruments can measure in this range, taking into account the normal vibration movement of an atom and adding a minimum vibration noise coming from the environment caused by electrical or mechanical sources.

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