Written by one of the most distinguished scientists and a pioneer in this field, this monograph represents a stand-alone, concise guide to friction at the atomic level. It brings together hitherto widely-scattered information in one single source, and is the first to explain the nature of friction in terms of atomistic mechanisms. In addition to his detailed description on modeling and simulation, the author stresses experimental approaches like AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) techniques for verification of theory. In this respect the book will benefit the whole nanotribology community, from graduate students who want to get the basics right up to researchers specializing in mechanical engineering, materials science, physics and chemistry.

This book provides an updated review on the development of scanning probe microscopy and related techniques, and the availability of computational techniques not even imaginable a few decades ago. The 36 chapters cover instrumental aspects, theoretical models and selected experimental results, thus offering a broad panoramic view on fundamental issues in nanotribology which are currently being investigated. Compared to the first edition, several topics have been added, including triboluminescence, graphene mechanics, friction and wear in liquid environments, capillary condensation, and multiscale friction modeling. Particular care has been taken to avoid overlaps and guarantee the independence of the chapters. In this way, our book aims to become a key reference on this subject for the next five to ten years to come.

Superlubricity is defined as a sliding regime in which friction or resistance to sliding vanishes. It has been shown that energy can be conserved by further reducing/removing friction in moving mechanical systems and this book includes contributions from world-renowned scientists who address some of the most fundamental research issues in overcoming friction. Superlubricity reviews the latest methods and materials in this area of research that are aimed at removing friction in nano-to-micro scale machines and large scale engineering components. Insight is also given into the atomic-scale origins of friction in general and superlubricity while other chapters focus on experimental and practical aspects or impacts of superlubricity that will be very useful for broader industrial community.* Reviews the latest fundamental research in superlubricity today* Presents 'state-of-the-art' methods, materials, and experimental techniques* Latest developments in tribomaterials, coatings, and lubricants providing superlubricity

Since 2004 and with the 2nd edition in 2006, the Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology has established itself as the definitive reference in the nanoscience and nanotechnology area. It integrates the knowledge from nanofabrication, nanodevices, nanomechanics, Nanotribology, materials science, and reliability engineering in just one volume. Beside the presentation of nanostructures, micro/nanofabrication, and micro/nanodevices, special emphasis is on scanning probe microscopy, nanotribology and nanomechanics, molecularly thick films, industrial applications and microdevice reliability, and on social aspects. In its 3rd edition, the book grew from 8 to 9 parts now including a part with chapters on biomimetics. More information is added to such fields as bionanotechnology, nanorobotics, and (bio)MEMS/NEMS, bio/nanotribology and bio/nanomechanics. The book is organized by an experienced editor with a universal knowledge and written by an international team of over 150 distinguished experts. It addresses mechanical and electrical engineers, materials scientists, physicists and chemists who work either in the nano area or in a field that is or will be influenced by this new key technology.

The recent emergence and proliferation of proximal probes, e.g. SPM and AFM, and computational techniques for simulating tip-surface interactions has enabled the systematic investigation of interfacial problems on ever smaller scales, as well as created means for modifying and manipulating nanostructures. In short, they have led to the appearance of the new, interdisciplinary fields of micro/nanotribology and micro/nanomechanics. This volume serves as a timely, practical introduction to the principles of nanotribology and nanomechanics and applications to magnetic storage systems and MEMS/NEMS. Assuming some familiarity with macrotribology/mechanics, the book comprises chapters by internationally recognized experts, who integrate knowledge of the field from the mechanics and materials-science perspectives. They cover key measurement techniques, their applications, and theoretical modelling of interfaces, each beginning their contributions with macro- and progressing to microconcepts. After reviewing the fundamental experimental and theoretical aspects in the first part, Nanotribology and Nanomechanics then treats applications. Three groups of readers are likely to find this text valuable: graduate students, research workers, and practicing engineers. It can serve as the basis for a comprehensive, one- or two-semester course in scanning probe microscopy; applied scanning probe techniques; or nanotribology/nanomechanics/nanotechnology, in departments such as mechanical engineering, materials science, and applied physics. With a Foreword by Physics Nobel Laureate Gerd Binnig Dr. Bharat Bhushan is an Ohio Eminent Scholar and The Howard D. Winbigler Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Research Faculty Advisor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Director of the Nanotribology Laboratory for Information Storage & MEMS/NEMS (NLIM) at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He is an internationally recognized expert of tribology and mechanics on the macro- to nanoscales, and is one of the most prolific authors. He is considered by some a pioneer of the tribology and mechanics of magnetic storage devices and a leading researcher in the fields of nanotribology and nanomechanics using scanning probe microscopy and applications to micro/nanotechnology. He is the recipient of various international fellowships including the Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize for Senior Scientists, Max Planck Foundation Research Award for Outstanding Foreign Scientists, and the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award.

The comprehensive reference and textbook serves as a timely, practical introduction to the principles of nanotribology and nanomechanics. Assuming some familiarity with macroscopic tribology, the book comprises chapters by internationally recognized experts, who integrate knowledge of the field from the mechanics and materials-science perspectives. They cover key measurement techniques, their applications, and theoretical modelling of interfaces, each beginning their contributions with macro- and progressing to microconcepts.

The word tribology was fIrst reported in a landmark report by P. Jost in 1966 (Lubrication (Tribology)--A Report on the Present Position and Industry's Needs, Department of Education and Science, HMSO, London). Tribology is the science and technology of two interacting surfaces in relative motion and of related subjects and practices. The popular equivalent is friction, wear and lubrication. The economic impact of the better understanding of tribology of two interacting surfaces in relative motion is known to be immense. Losses resulting from ignorance of tribology amount in the United States alone to about 6 percent of its GNP or about $200 billion dollars per year (1966), and approximately one-third of the world's energy resources in present' use, appear as friction in one form or another. A fundamental understanding of the tribology of the head-medium interface in magnetic recording is crucial to the future growth of the $100 billion per year information storage industry. In the emerging microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry, tribology is also recognized as a limiting technology. The advent of new scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques (starting with the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981) to measure surface topography, adhesion, friction, wear, lubricant-fIlm thickness, mechanical properties all on a micro to nanometer scale, and to image lubricant molecules and the availability of supercomputers to conduct atomic-scale simulations has led to the development of a new fIeld referred to as Microtribology, Nanotribology, or Molecular Tribology (see B. Bhushan, J. N. Israelachvili and U.