MICROTRIBOLOGY

Very lightweight sliding parts are beginning to be used in data storage devices and micromachines, which require wear rates that are almost zero. The ultimate goal of microtribology is to create practical zero-wear devices. Microtribology also includes basic studies to understand the origin of friction and wear. Scientific knowledge is needed in this field. New tools, such as scanning probe microscopes, have advanced the evaluation of solid surfaces and lubricant films, and a sliding condition that generates no frictional force has been found by a computer simulation of molecular dynamics. A generalized lubrication equation based on the Boltzmann equation was introduced for exact gas film lubrication analysis. Bio-motor and bearing mechanisms are being studied as unique machines. Microtribology can also be applied to atomic-level and nanometre-level machining and modification, and this technology may lead to ultrahigh-density data storage devices. Fundamental research on ultrahigh-density recording has already started.