A Combined Scanning Tunneling Microscope-Quartz Crystal Microbalance Investigation of Heating and Liquid-Like Behavior at a Sliding Interface

The unique capabilities resulting from combining a scanning tunneling microscope and a quartz crystal microbalance have been used to characterize the heating and wear at the interface of a tungsten tip and an Indium substrate, with a change in the contact characteristics of the interface occurring for sufficient sliding speeds. The advantage of this system is the ability to probe subtle changes of a rubbing asperity contact, which will aid in developing a more complete understanding of the complex issue of heat generated via friction.