edited by E Meyer (University of Basel), T Gyalog (University of Basel), R M Overney (University of Washington), & K Dransfeld (University of Konstanz)

Friction force microscopy is an important analytical tool in the field of tribology on the nanometer-scale. The contact area between the probing tip and the sample is reduced to some square nanometers, corresponding to the ideal of a single asperity contact. Traditional concepts, such as friction coefficients, adhesion and elasticity and stick-slip are re-examined with this novel technique. New concepts based upon classical and quantum mechanics are investigated.