摘要
The observation of nanoscale shear deformations is a significant step toward understanding the mechanisms of friction and lubrication, because these processes depend on the collective behavior of nanoscale junctions on sliding surfaces. We have developed a MEMS-in-TEM setup that enabled us to observe shear deformation and measure shear force, displacement and shear stress at the nanoscale level. Our experimental results reveal that the shear strength increases in the nano-meter range and indicate that the frictional coefficient may increase when the actual contact area is composed of nanojunctions rather than micro-sized junctions.