Accounting for the JKR-DMT transition in adhesion and measurements with atomic force microscopy

There are several experimental approaches to nanotribology, including the use of the atomic force microscope (AFM) [5] and the surface forces apparatus (SFA) [6]. In this paper we focus on work using the AFM to determine nanoscale adhesion and friction between solid surfaces. Our particular focus is on the role that contact mechanics plays in analyzing these measurements.