Effects of bulk and surface properties of materials on adhesion-induced deformations between submicrometer diameter particles and substrates

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Abstract
—Spherical particles of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF2), of 0.3 μm diameter, were deposited onto various substrates including polyester, a polyester-polydimethylsiloxane block copolymer (hereafter referred to as PSBC), and polished silicon. The adhesion force-induced deformations between the particles and substrates were then observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the particles embedded most deeply into the soft PSBC. No embedding of the particles into the Si wafers was observed, although the particles, themselves, appeared to flatten. The particles were also observed to embed into the polyester, although to a lesser extent than they did into the PSBC. Moreover, when the particles contacted samples of polyester which had been plasma-treated in argon, the embedding decreased. Measured contact area diameters are compared to predictions of various models of adhesion. The effect of the thickness of a conducting (Au/Pd) coating on the appearance of the contact zone is also discussed.

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