Use of capacitance to measure surface forces. 1. Measuring distance of separation with enhanced spatial and time resolution

doi:https://doi.org/10.1021/la960014b

Title: Use of capacitance to measure surface forces. 1. Measuring distance of separation with enhanced spatial and time resolution

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Abstract

We describe a simple method to measure the separation and forces between two macroscopic surfaces mounted in a crossed cylinder arrangement. It is shown that by measuring the capacitance between silver layers deposited on the backside of thin mica substrates, it is possible to achieve spatial resolution of less than 0.1 nm and time resolution of 1 ms. The growth of capacitance with decreasing distance of separation follows the predicted dependence for an ideal sphere and plate capacitor. To demonstrate the capability of obtaining force-distance profiles with this technique, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) has been confined between the mica sheets. We find that the process of collapse of the confined liquid, from four molecular layers to three, occurs more rapidly than 1 ms. This technique is also shown to give excellent results for opaque surfaces used in the surfaces forces apparatus (SFA), and we show that the adhesion energy between two surfaces of oxidized silicon is 3 mJ/m{sup 2}. Applications of this technique to the study of contact mechanics and dielectric properties of materials are discussed. 24 refs., 8 figs.

Authors:

Frantz, P; Agrait, N; Salmeron, M ^[1]

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)

Publication Date:: 1996-06-26

OSTI Identifier:: 374466

DOE Contract Number:: AC03-76SF00098

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Langmuir

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 12; Journal Issue: 13; Other Information: PBD: 26 Jun 1996

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 40 CHEMISTRY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; ADHESION; ENERGY; SURFACES; DISTANCE; MEASURING METHODS; CAPACITANCE; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; MICA; THIN FILMS; DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES

Citation Formats


                    Frantz, P, Agrait, N, Salmeron, M, and Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. Use of capacitance to measure surface forces. 1. Measuring distance of separation with enhanced spatial and time resolution.  United States: N. p., 1996. 
        Web.  doi:10.1021/la960014b.

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                    Frantz, P, Agrait, N, Salmeron, M, & Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. Use of capacitance to measure surface forces. 1. Measuring distance of separation with enhanced spatial and time resolution.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/la960014b

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                    Frantz, P, Agrait, N, Salmeron, M, and Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. Wed .  
        "Use of capacitance to measure surface forces. 1. Measuring distance of separation with enhanced spatial and time resolution".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/la960014b.

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@article{osti_374466,

  title        = {Use of capacitance to measure surface forces. 1. Measuring distance of separation with enhanced spatial and time resolution},

  author       = {Frantz, P and Agrait, N and Salmeron, M and Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA},

  abstractNote = {We describe a simple method to measure the separation and forces between two macroscopic surfaces mounted in a crossed cylinder arrangement. It is shown that by measuring the capacitance between silver layers deposited on the backside of thin mica substrates, it is possible to achieve spatial resolution of less than 0.1 nm and time resolution of 1 ms. The growth of capacitance with decreasing distance of separation follows the predicted dependence for an ideal sphere and plate capacitor. To demonstrate the capability of obtaining force-distance profiles with this technique, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) has been confined between the mica sheets. We find that the process of collapse of the confined liquid, from four molecular layers to three, occurs more rapidly than 1 ms. This technique is also shown to give excellent results for opaque surfaces used in the surfaces forces apparatus (SFA), and we show that the adhesion energy between two surfaces of oxidized silicon is 3 mJ/m{sup 2}. Applications of this technique to the study of contact mechanics and dielectric properties of materials are discussed. 24 refs., 8 figs.},

  doi          = {10.1021/la960014b},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/374466},
  journal      = {Langmuir},
number       = 13,

  volume       = 12,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1996},

  month        = {6}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1021/la960014b

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