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Nanotribological Phenomena, Principles and Mechanisms for MEMS

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Nano-tribology and Materials in MEMS

Abstract

Nanotribology is referred to as a branch of tribology, which involves the interactions between two relatively moving materials in contact at a nanometer or an atomic scale. Nanotribology was stimulated by the fabrication of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). With the advent of scanning force microscopy (SPM), experimental approach to nanotribological regimes has been substantially advanced. Most common examples of nanotribological phenomena are in hard disk drives, MEMS, and nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS). Tribology is a surface phenomenon, which can be significantly affected by a very high surface-to-volume ratio in a micro or nanostructure. Small mass, light load, elastic deformation, and slight wear or absence of wear are typical of nanotribology. It has been widely perceived that various tribological test conditions, such as load, velocity, temperature, surface free energy, surface topography, environment, etc. play major roles in nanotribology. The experimental study of nanotribology is made possible by using surface force apparatus (SFA), atomic force microscope (AFM), friction force microscope (FFM), and ball-on-disk nanotribometer. Tribology research exceedingly needs broadened knowledge in various fields such as physics, chemistry, mechanics, materials science, etc. This chapter discusses the various aspects of nanotribology including nanofriction, nanowear and nanolubrication for MEMS. The nanotribological measurement methodologies and mathematical relationships between friction, bending and torsion forces based on AFM/LFM (lateral force microscopy) are comprehensively reviewed. The influences of various experimental conditions on nanotribology are described with various examples. Simulation techniques for nanotribology are also highlighted.

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Acknowledgments

Professor Yee Cheong Lam, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, offered his valuable advice for the chapter.

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  1. School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Biswajit Saha , Erjia Liu & Shu Beng Tor

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  1. Biswajit Saha
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Correspondence to Erjia Liu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India

    Sujeet K. Sinha

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    N. Satyanarayana

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Seh Chun Lim

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Saha , B., Liu, E., Tor, S.B. (2013). Nanotribological Phenomena, Principles and Mechanisms for MEMS. In: Sinha, S., Satyanarayana, N., Lim, S. (eds) Nano-tribology and Materials in MEMS. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36935-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36935-3_1

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