A Micro-Pull-Off Test Machine for Reliable Measurement of Adhesive Forces on Micro/Nano-Scale Areas

Abstract

In this study, a micro-pull-off testing machine is developed for reliable measurement of the adhesive force on micro-and nano-scale contact areas. The measuring scheme and working principle of the equipment are based on a reliable measurement technique that uses a commercial atomic force microscope (AFM). Adhesive-force-only measuring equipment is manufactured to overcome the inherent limitations of commercial AFMs, and an adhesive force map with a 1-mu m interval is obtained around a micro-machined pattern of radius 2.25 mu m. Use of the proposed technique and equipment could reduce deviations of the measured bond strength of an adhesive protein compared with those we have previously reported. Moreover, the proposed technique and equipment could be further developed to measure the binding force of even a single molecule if a nano-scale pattern is fabricated.