Characterization of micro forces in pushing flat micro-sized objects

The aim of this paper is to analyze the surface scaling forces which are present at the interface between micro objects and a substrate. Experiments conducted in this work characterize the aggregated micro forces including capillary and van der Waals. These forces collectively form the interfacial shear strength in between the flat micro components and a flat substrate during the process of micro scale object pushing. The relationship between the magnitude of surface forces and parameters such as velocity of pushing, relative humidity and temperature, hydrophilicity of the substrate, and surface area are also empirically investigated. This work also proposes an inexpensive experimental setup as a platform to replace Atomic Force Microscopy for force characterization of micro-scale parts.