Electric Contact Stability Of Anti-Wear Probes

For the practical realization of precise processes or devices utilizing scanning nanoprobes, not only improvement in the wear resistance of the probe tip but also a stable electric contact at the sliding probe electrode is required. To meet both these requirements, the authors developed an anti-wear probe having a supporting Si tip and a metal electrode, both of which slide on the substrate simultaneously. Probes with various electrode materials were evaluated to investigate the key factors of the material choice for maintaining good electric contact over a long sliding distance. The results show that the optimal management of material hardness, surface roughness, and probe contact force was important to realize an optimum performance from the probe.