Nano-wear Characteristics of Silicon Probe Tip for Probe Based Data Storage Technology

탐침형 정보저장 기술을 위한 실리콘 탐침의 나노 마멸 특성에 관한 연구

The reliability issue of the probe tip/recording media interface is one of the most crucial concerns in the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)-based recording technology. In this work, the tribological characteristics of the probe/media interface were investigated by performing wear tests using an AFM. The ranges of applied normal load and sliding velocity for the wear test were 10 to 50nN and 2 to 20$\mu$m/s respectively. The damage of the probe tip was quantitatively as well as qualitatively characterized by Field Emission Scanning Probe Microscope (FESEM) analysis and calculated based on Archard s wear equation. It was shown that the wear coefficient of the probe tip was in the order of 10$^{-4}$ ~ 10$^{-3}$ , and significant contamination at the end of the probe tip was observed. Thus in order to implement the AFM-based recording technology, tribological optimization of the probe/media interface must be achieved.