Tribological studies on fracture and erosion of nanostructures

We present a variety of scanning force microscope experiments concerning fracture and wear mechanisms of microfabricated nanotowers. The scanning force microscope tip is used as a tool to apply well-defined forces to the surface of the patterned substrate that consists of a two-dimensional array of nanotowers. Detailed studies reveal two different wear mechanisms: erosive wear of the nanotower from the top and fracture of the structure at its bottom. Using optimized parameters, a controlled removal of individual nanotowers and the ability to create predefined patterns on the nanometer scale can be achieved.