Frictional characteristics of nano-scale mesoporous SiO2 thin film formed by sol-gel and self-assembly method

The pores on the surface function as an outlet for wear particles and enhance the storage of lubricants, which improves lubrication effectiveness. Mesoporous SiO2 thin films were formed by the sol-gel and self-assembly methods to have a porous structure. One of the important issues in the manufacturing of the films involves the control of the porous structure to ensure proper mechanical properties. Mesoporous materials were manufactured with two surfactants, Pluronid Polyol (F127) and Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTABr). The pores were then exposed on the surface by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and plasma-etching. Ball-on-disk tests with mesoporous SiO2 thin films on glass specimens were conducted. The results show that the friction coefficient and wear volume of a specimen with F127, which has a 8 nm pore size, are far lower than those of CTABr, which has a 3 nm pore size at both the dry condition and at boundary lubricated condition. This proves a significant dependency of friction and wear on pore size of mesoporous SiO2 thin films.