Contact splitting and the effect of dimple depth on static friction of textured surfaces

The morphological texturing of surfaces has demonstrated its high potential to maximize adhesion as well as to reduce friction and wear. A key to understanding such phenomena is a principle known as contact splitting. Here, we extend this concept to the static friction behavior of dimpled surfaces. Our results indicate that contact splitting does exist for such structures and that with certain dimple sizes and depths static friction values significantly exceeding those of untextured surfaces can be obtained. These results can be applied to all surfaces where friction forces are to be tuned, from nanoelectromechanical systems up to combustion engines.