Probing the Role of Nanoroughness in Contact Mechanics by Atomic Force Microscopy

Morphological information can be related to significant properties of solid bodies, like their friction, adhesion and wear. The primary aim of the present contribution is to provide evidences of the crucial role played by roughness in contact mechanics, based on Atomic Force Microscopy investigations at the nanoscale. We report experimental results concerning poly(dimethylsiloxane) colloidal probes indenting smooth substrates and discuss the dependence of load-penetration curves and pull-off forces on system details. We suggest their use to perform novel contact mechanics experiments on nanostructured rough surfaces.