This research is in the emerging area of microelectromechanical devices. It proposes directed research to fabricate and characterize microstructures under the action of given forces. Research emphasis includes the fabrication, characterization, and modelling of linear and rotating devices under dynamic conditions. In particular, this work is concerned with developing an understanding of friction, wear, surface modification and fatigue at the microscopic level, dealing with mechanical structures in the micron size range. To probe these phenomena, a recently developed high spatial resolution, time-resolved scanning Auger microprobe will be used. Knowledge gained through this research will be used to design and fabricate a pair of micro- tweezers.
