The use of instrumented indentation to characterize the mechanical response of polymeric materials was studied. A model based on contact between a rigid probe and a linear viscoelastic material was used to calculate values for the creep compliance and stress relaxation modulus for two glassy polymeric materials, epoxy and poly(methyl methacrylate), and two poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) elastomers. Results from bulk rheometry studies were used for comparison with the indentation stress relaxation results. For the two glassy polymers, the use of sharp pyramidal tips produced responses that were considerably more compliant (less stiff) than the rheometry values. Additional study of the deformation remaining in epoxy after indentation creep testing as a function of the creep hold time revealed that a large portion of the creep displacement measured was due to postyield flow. Indentation creep measurements of the epoxy with a rounded conical tip also produced nonlinear responses, but the creep compliance values appeared to approach linear viscoelastic values with decreasing creep force. Responses measured for the unfilled PDMS were mainly linear elastic, with the filled PDMS exhibiting some time-dependent and slight nonlinear responses in both rheometry and indentation measurements. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, lnc.