A COMBINED SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE-QUARTZ CRYSTAL MICROBALANCE STUDY OF HEATING AND WEAR AT A SLIDING INTERFACE

摘要

The unique capabilities resulting from combining a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) have been used to characterize the heating and wear at the interface of a tungsten tip and Indium substrate with a change in the contact characteristics of the interface occurring for sufficient sliding speeds. The advantage of this system is the ability to probe heat rise from an asperity contact which will aide in developing a more complete understanding of the complex issue of heat generated via friction.