Tribology of dendrimer-mediated perfluoropolyether films on Si surface for micro-electro mechanical systems applications

Abstract

An ultra-thin layer of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) overcoated onto chemisorbed dendrimer layers (amine-terminated poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM) was studied. The coefficient of friction and wear-life of the films coated surface was evaluated using a ball-on-disk micro-tribometer. PFPE overcoating onto dendrirner layer significantly enhanced the wear life of bare Si, which is far superior to PFPE coated SAM surfaces. This behavior can be attributed to the entrapment of PFPE into the gaps between various arms of PAMAM molecules. This entrapped PFPE was expected to squeeze into the contact as the sliding progresses and as the PFPE molecules depletes from the contact. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the World Tribology Congress (Kyoto, Japan 9/6-11/209).