NANOMETER-SCALE MODIFICATION OF THE TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SI(100) BY SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPE

Hydrogen‐terminated Si(100) surfaces were patterned on the nanometer scale using a conducting‐probe scanning force microscope (SFM) operating in air ambient. To generate the nanostructures, negative voltages were applied to the conductive SFM tip with respect to the sample while scanning in contact mode. After structuring, the same SFM tip was used to measure simultaneously the sample topography and the friction force between tip and sample. An increase in height by about three nanometers resulting from field‐enhanced oxidation is observed in areas where the tip had been negatively biased with constant voltages above 7 V. The topographical change is accompanied by a relative increase of the friction force of about 20% over the structured areas. © 1995, American Institute of Physics. All rights reserved.