"Nanofriction characteristics of h-BN with electric field induced elect" by Kemeng YU, Kun ZOU et al.

Article Title

Nanofriction characteristics of h-BN with electric field induced electrostatic interaction

Authors

Kemeng YU, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for High Performance Fiber Composites, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China;College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Kun ZOU, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for High Performance Fiber Composites, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Haojie LANG, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for High Performance Fiber Composites, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Yitian PENG, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for High Performance Fiber Composites, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China;College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China;Engineering Research Center of Advanced Textile Machinery, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

Keywords

nanofriction, electrostatic interaction, bias voltage, h-BN, atomic force microscopy

Abstract

The nanofriction properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) are vital for its application as a substrate for graphene devices and solid lubricants in micro- and nano-electromechanical devices. In this work, the nanofriction characteristics of h-BN on Si/SiO₂ substrates with a bias voltage are explored using a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip sliding on the h-BN surface under different substrate bias voltages. The results show that the nanofriction on h-BN increases with an increase in the applied bias difference (V_t-s) between the conductive tip and the substrate. The nanofriction under negative V_t-s is larger than that under positive V_t-s. The variation in nanofriction is relevant to the electrostatic interaction caused by the charging effect. The electrostatic force between opposite charges localized on the conductive tip and at the SiO₂/Si interface increases with an increase in V_t-s. Owing to the characteristics of p-type silicon, a positive V_t-s will first cause depletion of majority carriers, which results in a difference of nanofriction under positive and negative V_t-s. Our findings provide an approach for manipulating the nanofriction of 2D insulating material surfaces through an applied electric field, and are helpful for designing a substrate for graphene devices.

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

YU, Kemeng; ZOU, Kun; LANG, Haojie; and PENG, Yitian (2020) "Nanofriction characteristics of h-BN with electric field induced electrostatic interaction," Friction: Vol. 9: Iss. 6, Article 12.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-020-0432-x
Available at: https://dc.tsinghuajournals.com/friction/vol9/iss6/12

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