Friction, adhesion, and wear properties of PDMS coatings in MEMS devices

This paper demonstrates the first tests of friction, adhesion, and wear properties of thin poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films deposited on the sidewalls of silicon-on-insulator structures. The curves of coefficient of friction versus normal pressure were obtained for PDMS-on-PDMS, PDMS-on-silicon, and silicon-on-silicon sidewall interfaces. Tests were also completed to evaluate the effects of aging and wear on the properties of PDMS. The results of friction tests showed that the coefficient of friction follows the Hertz contact model, and in the wear tests PDMS showed high resistance to abrasion.