• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.39-43
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• 2006

A computer-controlled micro tribotester has been developed to investigate the friction and wear characteristics of thin coatings, which can be applied to silicon-based materials. In the developed system, a step motor gives a reciprocating movement and an electromagnet applies a load between a ball and a plate specimen. Test results confirmed that the application of load in the range of $0.03{\sim}1.8N$ and with a sliding speed of $4.44{\sim}7.70mm/s$ was successfully accomplished. Advantages of the developed micro tribotester are: (1) realization of micro load and displacement applicable to micro electromechanical systems(MEMS) using DC motor and electromagnet (2) continuously variable load and reciprocating speed; and (3) high reliability, which allows for unattended use for long periods.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.237-244
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• 2004

Micro/nano tribological characteristics of PTFE coating films were experimentally studied. PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) modified polyethylene and low molecular weight PTFE were used as a coating materials. These films were deposited on Si-wafer (100) by IBAD (ion beam assisted deposition) method. The Ar ion beam sputtering was performed to change the surface topography of films using a hollow cathode ion gun under different Ar ion dose conditions in a vacuum chamber. Micro/nano tribological characteristics, water wetting angles and roughness were measured with a micro tribotester, SPM (scanning probe microscope), contact anglemeter and profilometer, respectively. The durability of the films were measured with macro tribotester. Results showed that the PTFE coating surfaces were converted to hydrophobic. The water contact angle of coated surfaces and surface roughness increased with the coating thickness. Adhesion and friction in micro and nano scale were governed by magnitude of normal load in soft material such as PTFE films. As the increase of sputtering time on low molecular weight PTFE films, the surface roughness was increased and nano adhesion and friction were decreased. The nano tribological characteristics of surfaces are mainly improved by chemical modification such as PTFE coating and given a synergy effect by the physical modification such as topographic modification.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.205-211
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• 2000

Friction control is highly desirable for optimization of tribological systems. In this work, the effect of geometric structure of the solid surface on friction is investigated using a Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with a tribotester. Silicon and silicon oxide specimens were used and undulations on the surface were fabricated by mechanical and chemical methods. It is shown that the friction coefficient depends on the relative dimensions of the ball and the width of undualation. By optimizing the geometry of the undulation, friction reduction may be achieved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.19-23
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• 2000

Stiction is an undesirable phenomenon that can be encountered often in Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) applications, In order to minimize this effect, Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAM) are commonly used. In this work the frictional characteristics of SAM are investigated using both micro-tribotester and SPM. It was found that the performance of SAM is quite sensitive to coating condition. The experimental results show promise for SAM to be used in sliding applications of micro systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.13-18
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• 2001

In this paper, FFT(Fast Fourier Transform) analysis of friction was suggested as a method to interpret the contact conditions. Micro-grooves with various dimensions were fabricated on the silicon surface to investigate the frictional behavior with respect to the change in geometrical contact condition. Frictional forces between micro-grooved surfaces and spheres modeled as surface asperities were measured using a micro-tribotester which was built inside a SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope). The experimental results show that the relative dimensions and distributions of contact asperities between two surfaces can be predicted by the power spectrum and the main frequency in FFT-based analysis of friction coefficient. Also, it was shown that the friction coefficient for multi-asperities was the result of the superposition of that for each asperity.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2004

Micro/nano adhesion and friction properties of mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with different chain length for MEMS application were experimentally studied. Many kinds of SAM having different spacer chains(C6, C10 and C18) and their mixtures (1:1) were deposited onto Si-wafer, where the deposited SAM resulted in the hydrophobic nature. The adhesion and friction properties between tip and SAM surfaces under nano scale applied load were measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and under micro scale applied load were measured using ball-on-flat type micro-tribotester. Surface roughness and water contact angles were measured with SPM (scanning probe microscope) and contact anglemeter. Results showed that water contact angles of mixed SAMs were similar to those of pure SAMs. The morphology of coating surface was roughened as mixing of SAM. Nano adhesion and nano friction decreased as increasing of the spacer chain length and mixing of SAM. Micro friction was decreased as increasing of the spacer chain length, but micro friction of mixed SAM showed the value between pure SAMs. Nano adhesion and friction mechanism of mixed SAM was proposed in a view of stiffness of spacer chain modified chemically and topographically.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.56-63
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• 2003

Micro/nano adhesion and friction properties of mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with different chain length for MEMS application were experimentally studied. Many kinds of SAM having different spacer chains(C6, C10 and C18) and their mixtures (1:1) were deposited onto Si-wafer, where the deposited SAM resulted in the hydrophobic nature. The adhesion and friction properties between tip and SAM surfaces under nano scale applied load were measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and micro scale applied load were measured using ball-on-flat type micro-tribotester. Surface roughness and water wetting angles were measured with SPM (scanning probe microscope) and contact anglemeter. Results showed that wetting angles of mixed SAMs showed the similar value of pure SAMs. The coating surface morphology was increased as mixing of SAM. Nano adhesion and nano friction decreased as increasing of the spacer chain length and mixing of SAM. Micro friction was decreased as increasing of the spacer chain, but micro friction of mixed SAM showed the value between pure SAMs. Nano adhesion and friction mechanism of mixed SAM was proposed in a view of stiffness of spacer chain modified chemically and topographically.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10b
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• pp.255-256
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• 2002

In this paper, the frictional behavior according to the contact geometry was investigated using a micro-tribotester built inside a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis for friction was conducted as a method to interpret the contact condition. From the experimental results, it could be concluded that the relative dimensions and distribution of contact asperities on the surface could be predicted by the power spectrum and main frequency in the FFT analysis of the friction signal.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.209-215
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• 2005

Nano/micro friction with the contact area was studied on Si-wafer (100) and diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. Borosilicate balls of radii $0.32{\mu}m,\;0.5{\mu}m,\;1.25{\mu}m\;and\;2.5{\mu}m$ mounted on the top of AFM tip (NPS) were used for nano-scale contact and Soda Lime glass balls of radii 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 1mm were used for micro-scale contact. At nano-scale, the friction between ball and surface was measured with the applied normal load using an atomic force microscope (AFM), and at micro scale it was measured using ball-on flat type micro-tribotester. All the experiments were conducted at controlled conditions of temperature $(24\pm1^{\circ}C)$ and humidity $(45\pm5\%)$. Friction was measured as a function of applied normal load in the range of 0-160nN at nano scale and in the range of $1000{\mu}N,\; 1500{\mu}N,\;3000{\mu}N\;and\;4800{\mu}N$ at micro scale. Results showed that the friction at nano scale increased with the applied normal load and ball size for both kinds of samples. Similar behavior of friction with the applied normal load and ball size was observed for Si-wafer at micro scale. However, for DLC friction decreased with the ball size. This difference of in behavior of friction in DLC nano- and microscale was attribute to the difference in the operating mechanisms. The evidence of the operating mechanisms at micro-scale were observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). At micro-scale, solid-solid adhesion was dominant in Silicon-wafer, while plowing in DLC. Contrary to the nano scale that shows almost a wear-less situation, wear was prominent at micro-scale. At nano- and micro-scale, effect of contact area on the friction was discussed with the different applied normal load and ball size.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.90-98
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• 2004

Nano/micro-scale studies on friction properties were conducted on Si (100) and three self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) (PFOTC, DMDM, DPDM) coated on Si-wafer by chemical vapor deposition technique. Experiments were conducted at ambient temperature $(24{\pm}1^{\circ}C)$ and humidity $(45{\pm}5\%)$. Nano-friction was evaluated using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in the range of 0-40nN normal loads. In both Si-wafer and SAMs, friction increased linearly as a function of applied normal load. Results showed that friction was affected by the inherent adhesion in Si-wafer, and in the case of SAMs the physical/chemical structures had a major influence. Coefficient of friction of these test samples was also evaluated at the micro-scale using a micro-tribotester. It was observed that SAMs had superior frictional property due to their low interfacial energies. In order to study of the effect of contact area on friction coefficient at the micro-scale, friction was measured for Si-wafer and DPDM against Soda Lime balls (Duke Scientific Corporation) of different radii 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm and 1 mm at different applied normal loads $(1500,\;3000\;and\;4800{\mu}N)$. Results showed that Si-wafer had higher friction coefficient than DPDM. Furthermore, unlike that in the case of DPDM, friction was severely influenced by wear in the case of Si-wafer. SEM evidences showed that solid-solid adhesion to be the wear mechanism in Si-wafer.