AVS 50th International Symposium
    Nanometer Structures Wednesday Sessions
       Session NS-WeA

Paper NS-WeA5
Wear Structures on the Nanometer Scale

Wednesday, November 5, 2003, 3:20 pm, Room 308

Session: Nanotribology
Presenter: R. Bennewitz, University of Basel, Switzerland
Authors: R. Bennewitz, University of Basel, Switzerland
E. Gnecco, University of Basel, Switzerland
A. Socoliuc, University of Basel, Switzerland
E. Meyer, University of Basel, Switzerland
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Friction force microscopy has been used to study the onset of wear. Abrasive wear could be detected down to single atomic layers at surfaces of ionic crystals. The wear debris was found to perfectly recrystallize in registry with the underlying surface. Furthermore, we have found a characteristic formation of nanometer-scale ripples perpendicular to the direction of scratching. These ripples are built in an interplay between strain-induced erosion, transport by the action of the tip, and diffusion. In a second part, we will present recent results of atomic friction experiments. The relation between atomic stick-slip instabilities and energy dissipation will be discussed based on experiments which exhibit very little dissipation.