Consequences of Tip—Sample Interactions

Abstract

Understanding the atomistic mechanisms, energetics, structure and dynamics underlying the interactions and physical processes that occur when two materials are brought together (or separated) is fundamentally important to basic and applied problems such as adhesion [9.1–8], capillarity [9.9, 10], contact formation [9.3–9,11–27], surface deformations [9.7, 8, 19–27], materials elastic and plastic response characteristics [9.3, 7, 8, 20–27], material hardness [9.28–30], micro- and nano-indentation [9.6, 13, 24–32], friction, lubrication, and wear [9.9a, 22, 33–35], fracture [9.36, 37] and atomic-scale probing, modifications and manipulations, of materials surfaces. These considerations have for over a century motivated [9.1, 3, 20–23, 38] extensive theoretical and experimental research into the above phenomena and their technological consequences. Most theoretical approaches to these problems, with a few exceptions [9.7,8,17–19], have been anchored in continuum elasticity and contact mechanics [9.20–28]. Similarly, until quite recently [9.39–43] experimental observations and measurements of surface forces and the consequent materials response to such interactions have been macroscopic in nature.