AVS 47th International Symposium
    Surface Science Thursday Sessions
       Session SS2+NS-ThA

Invited Paper SS2+NS-ThA5
Atomic and Molecular Level Insight into Discreet Frictional Events

Thursday, October 5, 2000, 3:20 pm, Room 209

Session: Tribology and Adhesion
Presenter: S.S. Perry, University of Houston
Authors: S.S. Perry, University of Houston
T.R. Lee, University of Houston
S.H. Lee, University of Houston
K.I. Kim, University of Houston
R. Colorado, University of Houston
P. Cao, University of Houston
Y.S. Shon, University of Houston
M. Graupe, University of Houston
Correspondent: Click to Email
Technological advances in a number of industries has driven the need to understand interfacial friction on an atomic and molecular level. This level of understanding requires the careful design of model interfaces and experimental approaches sensitive to atomic and molecular scale events. This has been achieved in our studies by combining two recently developed techniques that operate at the subnanometer scale: control of the interfacial composition through molecular self-assembly or chemical modification under controlled UHV conditions and tribological measurements performed with the atomic force microscope. With this approach, we are able to control or measure the specific chemical composition and structure of interfaces and to correlate changes in composition and structure to the frictional properties of a single asperity contact. Examples will be drawn from both molecularly-thin organic film systems and composite coating systems to illustrate the origins of interfacial friction in terms of the composition and structure of the interface.