Abstract
	Since many technologies have moved to ever smaller scale, characterization of the intrinsic mechanical properties of materials and thin films has become more difficult and complicated. 
	Among the techniques to measure the mechanical properties of nanostructured thin films, nanoindentation techniques have been widely used to measure thin film mechanical properties, for instance hardness, elastic modulus, scratch resistance, creep, etc. Other reason for the popularity of the nanoindentation methods are that the mechanical properties can be measured without removing the film from its substrate as is done in other types of testing and that it provides the ability to probe a surface at numerous points, in both lateral and depth dimensions. In order to obtain the intrinsic properties of thin film materials, it is essential that the effect of the underlying substrate is eliminated during the test. In addition, currently, nanoindentation has proven to be the easiest way to determine the mechanical properties of coatings and thin films. However, there are difficulties in extracting the intrinsic mechanical properties due to several dominant parameters. Attempts have been made in order to consolidate the knowledge of nanotesting by nanoindentation which allows many investigators to access the intrinsic properties of coatings and thin films. 
	This paper describes various influential aspects on the subject of nanoindentation. The fundamental principles of nanoindentation, load-unloading curve analysis, load frame compliance, etc., are discussed.