The Leiden MEMS Tribometer: Real Time Dynamic Friction Loop Measurements With an On-Chip Tribometer

On-chip MEMS tribometer devices until now have been much less sophisticated for dynamically sensing frictional forces than their FFM (friction force microscope) counterparts. In this article, we present a MEMS-based tribometer that can be used to measure dynamically, on-chip and in-situ, the frictio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tribology letters 2007-11, Vol.28 (2), p.149-156
Main Authors: van Spengen, W. Merlijn, Frenken, Joost W. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Friction
Microelectromechanical systems
Silicon oxides
Surface roughness
Tribology
Wear
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Summary:On-chip MEMS tribometer devices until now have been much less sophisticated for dynamically sensing frictional forces than their FFM (friction force microscope) counterparts. In this article, we present a MEMS-based tribometer that can be used to measure dynamically, on-chip and in-situ, the frictional properties of MEMS-scale contact geometries. The device provides the first FFM-like friction loops with contacting MEMS sidewall surfaces. Depending on the normal load two regimes of operation are identified. At low and intermediate loads, the frictional behaviour reflects wear-less relative motion of the silicon oxide surfaces of the MEMS device and we observe repeatable, irregular stick-slip behaviour, related to the surface roughness. At very high loads, wear causes changes in the topography of the contacting surfaces.
ISSN:1023-8883
1573-2711
DOI:10.1007/s11249-007-9259-0