Friction between silicon surfaces appears to depend mainly on the siloxane bonds that form between the two surfaces, researchers from Amsterdam show in Physical Review Letters.

Friction is difficult to predict and control, especially since nanoscale surfaces are never completely flat. Controlling friction is important for predicting earthquakes and miniaturising semiconductor devices, among other things. A group of researchers at the University of Amsterdam has now shown that the friction between two silicon surfaces depends mainly on the chemical bonds that the two surfaces form with each other. This information can be used to control the amount of friction.