Abstract
It is important to increase the sliding speed in friction force microscopy (FFM). Although dual-axis probes for FFM can provide the accurate quantification of the tribological properties, it is difficult to increase the sliding speed. In this paper, using micromachining techniques, a dual-axis probe with an electrostatic actuator is presented. This dual axis probe, called micromechanical probe, consists of double cantilever and torsion beams for the detection of lateral and normal forces, respectively. The micro-drive part fabricated by anisotropic chemical etching were combined with the probe. The fine alignment was achieved by fabricating micro convex and concave structures on the microelectrode and probe parts, respectively. The micromechanical probe with an electrostatic actuator can provide the accurate quantification of the tribological properties under high speed sliding conditions.
