Abstract

The theoretical understanding of adhesion between a nanoparticle and a substrate is still a matter of intense investigation [1]. From an experimental point of view, two widespread experimental techniques, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM), have proved their worth for investigating the adhesion of a single nanometer contact. In SEM, the substrate needs to be conductive to avoid beam induced surface charge. AFM measurements imply an accurate calibration of the stiffness of the cantilever. For both techniques, adhesion measurements are performed in the static or low frequency regime (up to ~100 kHz in AFM). For bigger particles, ultrasounds were used to induce the oscillation in the MHz range of a 21 µm polystyrene latex particle. The frequency of this oscillation has allowed deducing the particle-substrate work of adhesion [2].

© 2013 IEEE