Session H33: Focus Session: Friction, Fracture and Deformation II

11:15 AM–1:39 PM, Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Baltimore Convention Center Room: 336

Sponsoring Units: DMP GSNP
Chair: Udo D. Schwarz, Yale University

Abstract ID: BAPS.2006.MAR.H33.7

Abstract: H33.00007 : Formation of nanoscale water bridges

12:51 PM–1:03 PM

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Authors:

  Elisa Riedo
    (Team 1)

  Robert Szoszkiewicz
    (Team 1)

  Tai-De Li
    (Team 1)

  Jianping Gao
    (Team 2)

  Uzi Landman
    (Team 2)

The water bridges provide stability to sand castles, act as transport channels for dip-pen nanolitography and increase adhesion and friction in micro- and nano- devices such as MEMS. The kinetics of capillary~condensation and growth at the nanoscale is studied here using friction force~microscopy and molecular dynamics calculations. At 40{\%} relative humidity we find that the meniscus~nucleation times increase from 0.7 ms up to 4.2 ms when the~temperature decreases from 332 K to 299 K. The nucleation times grow~exponentially with the inverse temperature 1/T obeying an Arrhenius~law. We obtain a nucleation energy barrier of 7.8*10\^{}{\{}-20{\}}$\sim $J~and an attempt frequency ranging between 4-250$\sim $GHz, in excellent~agreement with theoretical predictions. These results provide direct~experimental evidence that capillary condensation is a thermally~activated phenomenon.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2006.MAR.H33.7