Experimental Study On Chip Formation Process Of AFM-Based Nano-Scratching

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM), which is one of the important tools for nanotechnology research, has been widely employed in nanotechnology field with its high resolution and ability of working in vacuum, atmospheric and liquid environment. Mechanical scratching machining that based on the atomic force microscope (AFM) has lots of advantages, such as high accuracy, monitoring the surface while machining. Therefore, the further research to nano scratching related technologies based on AFM, has much theory meaning and practicality value.Research on chip formation and its influencing factors is one of important contents in the field of Mechanical machining research. So, this paper studies for the influencing factors on chip formation and morphological characteristics via the mechanical scratching machining of AFM.Firstly, the process of needlepoint scratching and AFM scratching mechanism are analyzed. At the beginning of AFM scratching machining, it is a process of indentation. With the movement of the needlepoint, the accumulation of materials that adhere to anterior needlepoint is gradually increased, then fractured and carried off by needlepoint. That is the formation of chip. Whereafter, the experiment research on scratching with different parameters, such as feed rate, scratching speed, vertical load and feed direction, is carried to analyze their influence on chip formation and its morphological characteristics. Finally, the minimum thickness of cutting is studied. Scratching mongline machining with different load is carried to find out the critical load and machining thickness of chip formation. Then the workpieces are exchanged to do contrastive experiments.