TRIBOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SIO2-FILMS INVESTIGATED BY SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY

Tribological characteristics of newly-proposed SiO2 films deposited in hydrogen-argon mixtures, the Si substrate, the fused quartz target, and thermally-grown SiO2 were investigated by simultaneously measuring the friction and wear using scanning probe microscopy, At low normal loads, wear did not appear when the friction force increased linearly with load, however, significant wear occurred when the friction force increased rapidly at higher loads. The wear regime of SiO2 films closely agreed with the friction change as simultaneously measured in the same area. The friction and wear of the sputtered SiO2 films were lowest at a 30% hydrogen concentration. The film deposited at 30% hydrogen had very similar wear durability to thermally-grown SiO2, but higher durability than fused quartz target.