Abstract

The evolution of adhesion and friction in contact-mode micromachines operated in high vacuum was studied by tracking changes in the adhesive pressure, interfacial shear strength, and static coefficient of friction with accumulating sliding cycles. Low adhesion and high static friction observed during the initial stage of sliding were followed by monotonically intensifying adhesion and decreasing friction until reaching an equilibrium stage at steady-state sliding. This trend revealed the existence of two friction regimes in which asperity deformation and adhesion were the dominant friction mechanisms. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy observations indicated that sliding resulted in physical and chemical surface changes. The evolution of the adhesion and friction properties with sliding cycles is attributed to the increase of both the real contact area and the work of adhesion due to nanoscale surface smoothening and the removal of contaminant adsorbents, respectively.

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