Atomic force microscopy investigations on the surface topographies of aluminum-based composite containing nanocluster diamond

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to study the rolling effect of ultrafine particles of cluster diamond contained in an aluminum-based composite during a sliding friction process. By analyzing the interaction between the tip of AFM and the spherical particles of diamond, it is estimated that at constant force mode of AFM when a particle is made to rotate, it shows a tendency to leave from the tip and a certain kind of deformed topographies are yielded. Some special images observed are explained by the mechanism based on the rotation of nanoball form particles of cluster diamond during the tip of AFM scanning over the sample surface. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.