PROCESS FOR ADJUSTING THE COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION AND/OR ADHESION BETWEEN SURFACES OF TWO SOLID OBJECTS

• US 20110081519A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Huis in't Veld, Albertus Josef, Hermse, Chretien Guillaume Maria, Dillingh, Elbert Christiaan
• Application Number:
  US12/920,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20110081519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/141
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 28/00 Electrically-actuated clutches arrangements for synchronisation F16D23/02; clutches actuated directly by means of an electromagnet F16D27/00; automatic clutches F16D43/00 - F16D45/00; external control F16D48/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/206 using only longitudinal or thickness displacement, e.g. d33 or d31 type devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

The invention provides a process for adjusting the friction coefficient and adhesion between a surface of a first solid object and a surface of a second solid object, which surfaces are movable with respect to each other when the solid objects are in contact with each other, wherein the surface roughness of at least one of the surfaces is adjusted by subjecting one or more selected parts of said first and/or second solid objects to an electric field and/or a magnetic field, wherein at least said one or more selected parts of said first and/or second solid objects comprise a piezo-electric material, and wherein other parts of said first and/or second solid object do not comprise a piezo-electric material. The invention further provides an object having a surface of which the roughness can be adjusted by subjecting one or more selected parts of the object to an electric field and/or a magnetic field, which selected parts comprise a piezo-electric material. In addition, the invention provides a system comprising said object.

Claims

1. A process for adjusting the friction coefficient and/or adhesion between a surface of a first solid object and a surface of a second solid object, which surfaces are movable with respect to each other when the solid objects are in contact with each other, wherein the surface roughness of at least one of the surfaces is adjusted by subjecting one or more selected parts of at least said first and/or second solid objects to an electric field and/or a magnetic field, wherein at least said one or more selected parts of said first and/or second solid objects comprise a piezo-electric material, and wherein other parts of said first and/or second solid object do not comprise a piezo-electric material.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein two or more selected parts of said first and/or second solid object, said parts comprising a piezo-electric material, are subjected to an external stimulus.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the piezo-electric material has the form of a uniform layer within at least one of the objects which layer is arranged near the surface of the at least one object.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of at least one of the surfaces increases.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the objects have a multi-layer structure wherein at least one of the layers comprises the piezo-electric material.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the friction coefficient between the surfaces of the first and second object is reversible.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the friction coefficient is directionally dependent.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first object is a silicon wafer and the second object is a wafer-handling surface.

9. The process according to claim 8, wherein at least one or more selected parts of at least the second object are subjected to the electric field and/or the magnetic field.

10. A solid object having a surface of which the roughness can be adjusted by subjecting one or more selected parts of the object to an electric field and/or a magnetic field, which selected parts comprise a piezo-electric material.

11. The object according to claim 10, wherein the roughness of the surface of the object increases.

12. The object according to claim 10, wherein the object has a multi-layer structure wherein at least one of the layers comprises the piezo-electric material.

13. The object according to claims 10, wherein the material has the form of a uniform layer within the object which layer is arranged near the surface of the object.

14. The object according to claim 10, which object is a wafer-handling surface.

15. The object according to claim 10, which object is a reticle clamp surface.

16. A system that comprises two or more objects of which at least one object is the object as defined in claim 10.

17. The system according to claim 15, which system is a high-end equipment system that comprises a silicon wafer and a wafer-handling surface, which wafer-handling surface is defined in claim 13.