Cleaning of Dust between Interactive Contact Surfaces by Applied Normal Load of Artificial Stainless-Cantilever in AFM

In this study, we investigated the changes between interactive surfaces on cleaning work using brush with bristle, and the relationship between curvature radius of bristle and contact area, and the influence of bending of bristle on contact surface. In order to study, spherical particles (dry borosilicate glass sphere, plastic sphere) with curvature radius(R=5 mum, R=10 mum) glued to artificial stainless cantilevers (spring constant k=576.7 N/m).The experiment was performed in various normal applied loads by using AFM (Atomic force microscope) and the bending of cantilever was simulated by using FEM (finite element method). From the results, the cleaning ability of dust allowed mainly small curvature radius to remove more effective than either large curvature radius over the wide contact area (50 mum times 50 mum) abraded by using the stainless cantilever. In addition, the plastic spheres and the sphere having small curvature radius tend to plastic deformation more than the borosilicate glass spheres and the spherical sphere having large curvature radius in same applied load. In micro contact surfaces, the increment of dust between interactive surfaces caused the fragments or contaminants to restructure of dust aggregates, and it is seems to be caused the plastic deformation by contact pressure force. For the efficient cleaning work using micro brush having bristle, the aggregation of dust or contaminants prevent micro/nano scale cleaning work from improving, we should consider the physical phenomena at interactive contact surfaces due to applied loads.