Confining Liquids on Silicon Surfaces to Lubricate MEMS

Abstract

Liquid lubrication may provide a solution to the problem of high friction and wear in micro-electro-mechanical systems. Although the effectiveness of this approach has been demonstrated in laboratory-based friction tests, practical constraints prevent it from being applied in commercial devices. The main problem is how to position the lubricant on a silicon surface in order to limit spreading and evaporation. This paper describes two techniques to address this issue. First, low concentrations of additives are used to promote autophobic behaviour. Tests’ results show that certain concentrations of both multiply alkylated cyclopentane and amine additives are effective in halting the spread of ..