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Contact Dependence and Velocity Crossover in Friction between Microscopic Solid/Solid Contacts
Joshua D McGraw1, Antoine Niguès2, Alexis Chennevière3
1Département de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure/Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, CNRS , 75005 Paris, France.
Nano Letters
|September 21, 2017
Summary
Nanoscale friction between solid tips and hydrophobic surfaces shows strong velocity dependence, deviating from classical models. This behavior is explained by a multicontact friction model involving thermally activated contact breaking.
Area of Science:
- Surface science
- Tribology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Macroscopic friction is often velocity-independent.
- Nanoscale friction exhibits complex behaviors not seen at larger scales.
- Understanding nanoscale friction is crucial for micro/nano-devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the velocity dependence of nanoscale friction.
- To explore the relationship between friction and probe dimensions.
- To validate a multicontact friction model.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing laterally oscillating quartz tuning forks for precise measurements.
- Employing nondestructive friction tests on solid tips (hundreds of nanometers) and hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers.
- Analyzing friction force as a function of sliding velocity.
Main Results:
- Observed a strong velocity dependence in nanoscale friction.
- Identified a crossover from linear to logarithmic velocity scaling.
- Found friction is significantly influenced by the dimensions of the frictional probe.
Conclusions:
- Nanoscale friction is highly velocity-dependent, unlike macroscopic friction.
- A multicontact friction model, including thermal effects, accurately describes the observed behavior.
- Probe geometry plays a critical role in nanoscale frictional forces.
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