Abstract
A new method is presented to measure the volume of locally restricted topographical changes on surfaces due to wear with ultra-high precision. For this purpose a so-called stand-alone atomic force microscope (AFM) is used in combination with a special sample holder that allows to observe the same section of the sample surface before and after tribological stressing in a conventional tribometer. Exceeding the resolution limits of standard profilometry by far, the AFM can be used for quantifying smallest wear events and gives new insights in the details of the tribological process. As examples, measurements of hardness indentations on a Si wafer, as well as wear events due to sliding motion on an AuNi coating and filled polymers for electrical contact systems are shown. In addition, some practical aspects such as avoiding measurement errors and possible applications are discussed in detail.
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