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Tribological investigations of LIGA-microstructures

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Abstract

The performance and lifetime of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) is strongly affected by friction and wear. We therefore analysed the friction and wear characteristics of microstructures produced by the LIGA-process. The measurements were carried out in a special designed microtribometer, which is capable to work inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and hence offering the possibility of a high resolution in-situ observation of the microscopic tribological mechanism during operation of the system.

The material combinations investigated were chosen in order to represent the most important tribological junctions occurring in the ‘micro-motor’ and ‘micro-turbine’ currently produced by the LIGA-technique. We studied the tribological properties of nickel-nickel micro components (LIGA-side-wall/LIGA-sidewall and LIGA-bottom side/LIGA-top side), as well as nickel micro components (bottom side)-Al2O3-ceramic substrates (contact between rotor-base).

The results indicate a strong influence of the relative humidity level (RHL) on the friction and wear properties of the metal/ceramic as well as of the metal/metal contacts appearing in the LIGA-MEMS, showing the lowest level of friction and wear at high RHL-values. We also found out that the friction and wear parameters were highly influenced by the applied surface pressure. Changing the surface pressure results in the formation of different kinds of wear debris accumulating or smearing out in the wear track. The metal oxides produced hereby in the wear track can lower adhesion and thus reduce the friction of the system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Materials Research I, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Postfach 3640, D-76021, Karlsruhe, Germany

    T. Bieger

  2. Institute for Microstructure Technology, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Postfach 3640, D-76021, Karlsruhe, Germany

    U. Wallrabe

Authors
  1. T. Bieger
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  2. U. Wallrabe
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Bieger, T., Wallrabe, U. Tribological investigations of LIGA-microstructures. Microsystem Technologies 2, 63–70 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02447752

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