Combined solid and liquid film lubrication for nanopositioning and nanomeasurement machines | Kombinierte fest- und flüssigschmierung für nanopositionier- und nanomessmaschinen

In fields such as microsystem and precision engineering as well as semiconductor production, the enabling technology to precisely position and measure components down to the nanometer range is a crucial aspect. In systems involving components where materials come into contact and move relative to one another, the tribological properties of these contacting surfaces must be thoroughly understood. This knowledge can then be applied to optimize the tribological parameters on the one hand as well as utilize this information to develop suitable regulation systems on the other. In this context, the tribological properties related to a nanopositioning and nanomeasurement system developed at the Ilmenau University of Technology are investigated. To improve precision, this system needs to be operated in vacuum; this involves considerable tribological challenges as both, low and stable friction are desired in a vacuum environment. Towards this aim, this contribution examines solid lubricants like diamond-like carbon (DLC), ionic liquid (IL) lubrication and their combination. Such types of liquids are particularly attractive as their low vapour pressures make them suitable for vacuum applications. Measurements were conducted with a ball-on-disk tribometer in ambient environment as well as with a reciprocating microtribometer in air and high vacuum. Experimental results indicate that for the combination of solid and liquid film lubrication, effects like polarity, viscosity and the force regime play an important role. The results and aspects, which are related to the achieved friction and wear, are discussed under the aspect of stable and low friction.