ABSTRACT
Although high wear can be disastrous in MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) technology, friction is an important issue as well. The typical forces that can be generated with MEMS-based actuation are in the nano-to microNewton range. With adhesion forces of the same order of magnitude and friction coefficients between 0.1 and up to more than 1, MEMS devices that have not been carefully designed for their tribological properties can easily become stuck.
