ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of microscratching/microwear, nanofabrication/nanomachining, and nano/picoindentation using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and related instrumentation. Special sensors may be used in conjunction with AFMs for nano/picoindentation studies. The transducer consists of a three plate capacitive structure which provides high sensitivity, large dynamic range, and a linear output signal with respect to load or displacement. The chapter examines the mechanism of material removal on microscale at low loads, in AFM wear experiments. Similar results on single-crystal silicon have been reported by Pethica et al. and Page et al. based on nanoindentation data obtained using commercial nanoindentors, and by Bhushan and Koinkar based on AFM data. The nano/picoindentation system has been used to study the creep and strain rate effects of ceramics. At the loads used in the study, material is removed by the plowing mode in a brittle manner without much plastic deformation.
