Atmospheric effects of friction, friction noise and wear with silicon and diamond. Part I. Test methodology

Abstract

This multi-part paper series gives evidence of tribothermally catalyzed, lubricative interactions of low partial pressures of hydrogen, water vapor and oxygen with silicon and polycrystalline diamond employed as bearing materials in moving mechanical assemblies (e.g., miniaturized rotors, bearings and gears) of microelectromechanical systems. In part I a test methodology is described, whereby wide environmental range SEM-tribometric friction data are combined with friction noise analysis and applicable literature information to further assist in interpreting atomic-level interactions governing the macroscopic friction and wear behavior of Si and diamond. To further correlate the wear- and thermal desorption-induced generation, re(de)construction and adsorbate-passivated annihilation of dangling σ bonds with high and low adhesion and friction, previously generated average coefficient of friction (COF) values are complemented with the concept of the associated MAX.COF: the highest coefficient of kinetic friction gleaned from the raw computer-logged friction force data of each oscillatory cycle of an experiment. The MAX.COF/COF ratios are used as measures of the friction noise as a function of temperature and atmospheric environment. These quantities, sampled at the appropriate data logging rate to circumvent test machine-related vibrational disturbances, demonstrated signs of friction- and friction noise-reducing gas-phase interactions of dry hydrogen with silicon (part II) and diamond (part III). Future installments will deal with similar lubricative properties of low partial pressures of wet hydrogen and dry oxygen.