WEAR DURABILITY AND ADHESION EVALUATION METHODS FOR ULTRATHIN OVERCOAT FILMS BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY

A method has been developed for evaluating the wear durability and adh esion characteristics of ultrathin overcoat films. The relationship be tween the wear depth and applied load or between the wear depth and nu mber of scanning-scratch cycles is used in AFM nanowear tests. Inheren t wear durability, which is independent of adhesion or substrate hardn ess, can be evaluated from the relationship between wear depth and app lied load at relatively low loads, and the adhesion characteristics ca n be evaluated from the relationship at relatively high loads. Wear du rability can be evaluated with a small number of scanning-scratch cycl es and adhesion with a large number of cycles.