When the contact of two moving parts is decreased to the nanoscale such as in MEMs or NEMs, quantum effects play an important role. Unlike classical concepts and methods, quantum control of mechanical properties such as friction are far less studied. We are using a new approach for the investigation and control of local mechanical properties at the nanoscale. Our approach includes the design and production of nanostructures that mimic contacts in nanomachines and nanodevices. These nanostructures are produced with high precision and speed using AFM-based nanolithographic methods developed and refined in our research group. In addition, the tip size and tip-surface contact area are directly measured and calibrated using nanolithography, without any assumptions of the tip-contact mechanics. The exquisite precision attainable by nanolithographic methods allows us to investigate local mechanical properties such as friction and stiffness as a function of the structure, size, geometry, separation, functionality and local environment of the nanostructures, in the contact region. Since the measurements are highly local and systematic, modeling and molecular dynamics simulation studies may be directly compared with the experimental results.

Fabrication of test platforms of nanostructures and probing the mechanical properties of these nanostructures