A preliminary study on friction measurements in MEMS

This study of friction measurements in microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) is aimed at examining static friction measurement techniques, as well as exploring the effects of environmental parameters, including nitrogen, oxygen, and argon at various pressures and humidities. The coefficients of friction between silicon nitride and silicon nitride, silicon nitride and silicon, silicon dioxide and silicon dioxide, and silicon dioxide and silicon dioxide, and silicon dioxide and silicon at various gas pressures are presented along with preliminary interpretations. Exposing the samples to argon resulted in no change in the coefficients of friction, exposing the samples to nitrogen resulted in either a decrease or no change in the coefficients of friction, and exposing the samples to oxygen resulted in an increase in the coefficients of friction. The data suggest that nitrogen acts as a lubricant and adsorbed oxygen acts as an adhesive for the silicon or silicon compound materials tested.<>