ISO 23737:2021

Overview

ISO 23737:2021 specifies standardized methods for evaluating wear resistance and friction coefficient of fine ceramic thin films under controlled dry and high-humidity conditions. The scope covers thin films up to approximately 1 µm thickness deposited on substrates - including thin substrates or very thin organic polymer film bases. This standard is intended to provide reproducible, humidity‑sensitive tribology methods tailored to modern electronic, optical and microdevice ceramic coatings.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test specimen scope: Fine ceramic (advanced technical) thin films ≤ ~1 µm on rigid or very thin polymer/glass substrates.
• Environmental control: Specified procedures for dry environments (e.g., dry air or nitrogen) and regulated high‑humidity conditions; includes use of drying chambers and defined relative humidity control.
• Measurement principles: Friction coefficient calculation from measured frictional and normal forces; evaluation of wear formation by sliding contact tests.
• Wear motion modes: Defined reciprocating and rotating disc/slide wear conditions to simulate common sliding geometries.
• Specimen preparation & pretreatment: Surface cleaning, drying and thickness measurement requirements prior to testing.
• Wear and damage evaluation:
  • Measurement of wear track cross‑section on thin film surfaces.
  • Determination of worn volume on indenter (ball) surfaces, including profile observation and volume calculation.
  • Morphology and elemental distribution mapping (e.g., imaging and composition analysis) of wear tracks and worn counterfaces.
• Test documentation: Requirements for test procedures, result summarization and test reports; precautions for consistent reporting.
• Relevant definitions: Terms such as wear, frictional force, friction coefficient, dry air/dry nitrogen (dew point −60 °C at 101.3 kPa) are included.

Practical applications and users

ISO 23737:2021 is directly applicable to industries and professionals concerned with thin‑film tribology and reliability, including:

• Materials scientists and ceramic engineers developing fine ceramic coatings for MEMS, sensors, actuators, optical elements, memory and display devices.
• Coating and thin‑film manufacturers evaluating wear resistance and friction behavior under variable humidity.
• R&D and quality control laboratories performing standardized verification of thin‑film durability for electronics, packaging films, automotive glazing and architectural glass.
• Tribology labs and test laboratories offering accredited wear testing services for advanced ceramic thin films.

Using ISO 23737:2021 ensures humidity‑sensitive tribological properties are measured reproducibly, supporting product development, failure analysis and comparative benchmarking.

Related standards

• ISO 20507 - Fine ceramics (vocabulary)
• ISO 3274 - Surface texture: profile method (contact instruments)
• ISO 13565-1 / ISO 13565-2 - Surface texture: filtering, measurement conditions and stratified surface characterization

Keywords: ISO 23737:2021, fine ceramic thin films, wear resistance testing, friction coefficient, dry and high‑humidity tribology, thin film tribology, advanced ceramics.