AVS 50th International Symposium
    Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Tuesday Sessions
       Session MM-TuM

Paper MM-TuM8
Can We Predict Friction and Wear in MEMS?

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 10:40 am, Room 320

Session: Development and Characterization of MEMS and NEMS Materials
Presenter: E.E. Flater, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Authors: E.E. Flater, University of Wisconsin - Madison
A.D. Corwin, Sandia National Laboratories
M.P. DeBoer, Sandia National Laboratories
C.K. Bora, University of Wisconsin - Madison
M.E. Plesha, University of Wisconsin - Madison
R.W. Carpick, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Correspondent: Click to Email
The design of reliable MEMS devices that involve sliding or rolling surfaces requires a predictive capability for friction and wear. We will describe our efforts to predict friction in MEMS by connecting single asperity friction measurements via atomic force microscopy (AFM) with multi-asperity friction measurements in a newly-developed MEMS friction test device through the use of analytical models of contact between rough surfaces. We will show that AFM resolves critical roughness features of MEMS surfaces from the nm-to-µm scale. From this information, we derive surface roughness parameters that are used as inputs to predict the interfacial mechanics using generalized models based on the Greenwood-Williamson approach and fractal surface models, respectively. We will discuss the validation of these approaches with reference to single-asperity AFM experiments and multi-asperity MEMS friction test device experiments.