Abstract
Atomic-scale wear properties of muscovite mica were evaluated in terms of friction force and surface topographic changes using a scanning probe microscope. Friction from a load of 100–300 nN generated a 1-nm-deep wear groove which corresponded to the depth from the surface of one cleavage plane to the surface of the next periodic cleavage plane. The atomic image of the bottom surface of the wear groove corresponds to the basal plane of mica.