Nonuniform friction-area dependency for antimony oxide surfaces sliding on graphite
Author
Ritter, C.
Baykara, M. Z.
Stegemann, B.
Heyde, M.
Rademann, K.
Schroers, J.
Schwarz, U. D.
Date
2013Source Title
Physical Review B
Print ISSN
2469-9950
Electronic ISSN
2469-9969
Publisher
American Physical Society
Volume
88
Issue
4
Pages
045422-1 - 045422-6
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
We present frictional measurements involving controlled lateral manipulation of antimony nanoparticles on graphite featuring atomically smooth particle-substrate interfaces via tapping- and contact-mode atomic force microscopy. As expected from earlier studies, the power required for lateral manipulation as well as the frictional forces recorded during the manipulation events exhibit a linear dependence on the contact area over a wide size range from 2000 nm2 to 120 000 nm2. However, we observe a significant and abrupt increase in frictional force and dissipated power per contact area at a value of about 20 000 nm2, coinciding with a phase transition from amorphous to crystalline within the antimony particles. Our results suggest that variations in the structural arrangement and stoichiometry of antimony oxide at the interface between the particles and the substrate may be responsible for the observed effect. © 2013 American Physical Society.