Despite progresses achieved in the technology of MEMS, the tribological problem continues being an unresolved matter. Wear and stick-slip phenomena are many times the origin of failure of these devices. The application of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in liquid phase seems to be a solution to this problems. SAMs of octadecyltrichlorosilane (CH3(CH2)17SiCl3, OTS) were attached to Si(100) oxidized in liquid phase. Contact angle measurements were used for characterizing the grade of hydrophobicity. The topography of the coating was obtained with an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in semicontact mode. The images showed the presence of particles related to the polymerization of the precursor molecule during the formation process of the SAMs. Creating the film of lubricant in vapour phase would avoid this undesirable effect. Tribological tests were carried out with a microtribometer in linear reciprocating movement with a ball of 2 mm of diameter (100Cr6 and Si3N4) and load of some milinewtons. Results were compared with those obtained for silicon oxidized without any coating. The coefficient of friction (COF) and wear (substrate and ball) were studied under different test conditions.

Volume Subject Area:
Micro- and Nanotribology
Topics:
Coating processes, Coatings, Microelectromechanical systems, Silicon, Tribology, Atomic force microscopy, Wear, Failure, Friction, Hydrophobicity, Lubricants, Particulate matter, Polymerization, Self-assembly, Stick-slip, Stress
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