Liquid-like tribology of gold studied by in situ TEM

Sliding and indentation between a single asperity tungsten probe and Au (1 1 0) film is studied via in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanomanipulation. A number of mechanisms relevant to the understanding of the tribological behavior of metal–metal interfaces are directly observed, including liquid-like (lubricious) behavior at moderate temperatures (166 °C), gouging and ploughing wear. An in situ method for fabricating atomic-sized Au probes is also presented.