A New AFM Nanotribology Method Using a T-Shape Cantilever with an Off-Axis Tip for Friction Coefficient Measurement with Minimized Abbe Error

作者：Liu Yu; Leung Kar Man; Nie Heng yong; Lau Woon Ming; Yang Jun^*

来源：Tribology Letters, 2011, 41(1): 313-318.

DOI：10.1007/s11249-010-9699-9

• Nanotribology
• AFM
• T-shape cantilever
• Friction coefficient

A new AFM (atomic force microscopy) nanotribology method using a T-shape cantilever with an off-axis tip (Nat Nanotechnol 2:507-514, 2007) has been developed for measuring friction coefficient at nanometer scale. In this method, signals due to both bending and twisting of the T-shape AFM cantilever are detected simultaneously. For a T-shape AFM cantilever, the bending is caused by the normal load and the twisting is caused by both the normal and the lateral loads. The twisting generated by the normal load is calibrated in advance. Consequently, the twisting only due to the lateral load can be decoupled from the total lateral voltage signal. And the friction coefficient can be finally determined based on a conversion relationship between the normal and lateral voltage signals of the AFM photodetector. A practical procedure for minimizing Abb, error in friction coefficient measurement has also been introduced. The proposed new method is simple and accurate, and requires the least operation for friction coefficient measurement at nanometer scale.

• 出版日期2011-1