We have developed a new technique for visulalizing displacement fields of indentations in thin films. In this technique, the indented film consists of alternating layers of two different materials. One of the materials serves as a marker for visualizing the plastic flow induced by the indentation. Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling is used to cross-section the indentation, revealing the deformed layers. This technique can be used to study how the presence of the substrate affects the plastic displacement field around the indentation. The technique is applied to a multilayered film of aluminum and titanium nitride on a silicon substrate. The titanium nitride layers are much tinnner than the aluminum layers and serve the function of marker. Pile-up of the film material around the indenter and the effect of the hard substrate are easily revealed and a mechanism for pile-up is suggested. The technique also shows that the grain structure in the deformed zone around the indentation is altered profoundly.
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