Equipe d e Recherche d e M k c a~n i q l~e d e s Surfaces. C.N.K.S. 92 l!)O M e u d o n , FranceAdlrrsiorz n~z d ,fiictiotz of a ,fine tip on 4,500 nlrcmirz~tr~z ,foils under lond varying betrueen 1 p N and 200 p N in a n elecfro11 nzirroscopr rurrr strtdied. W l~c n dislocntion drnsity i~ loru (I nd irrzpnct occros ,Fir , fiorn ( 1 1 1~ pr~-rxistjng dislocntion, .snrrtll (,lnstic (~d111~~siotl i.s oO.se~v~d ( I S long (is tl~rorrticnl strongtll is not r~( t r I~r d . 11' tlris i n z f~~c l orcro:~ i n tho inzmdintr vicinity of (I clisIocrrtion, tlri~ro i s /)lt.stic dc;formotio?z cr,nd (~d h~s i o n is Ilig11. Tho rcsrrlt is N strttisticnl onr, rtnd (1 hitnodal hi.stog,nm is obtnined. Wllr~rz lorrd irrcrrasi~.~, pl(r.s!ir /~robrthility and its ~I ( L / I ( P ~~C W ( I S P . A rnudel, arr~phnsizi~zg thr rolo i f .s,ryficr onerg)' is proposrd; it olloro~.s thr irzlorprrtation of tlrc his11 strrngth brhaz~ior of corztrtnzincited n~rz?zenled szc~faces, and of somr of B~tckley's resztlts,for ndl~esion. k I % o~ (1 t~r r g~~~t i ( 1 1 disl~lrcetnr~zt is i m p o s d , co~(fficir,tt of,fiiction i s rz~nrly z~r o ot .snrttll locr[ls. TI10 co(;fftcirnt ?[frictiorl ~llnrply irzcrm.ses cibour~ (I cr~rtnin cr-iticnl loctd (rul~ich d?prnd.s on thr itzitir~l disloccition d~rzsity). It still incr~nsrs r7oith load until its mncroscopic v n l r i~ is rclncllc~d. B y conzpnrison roith tensilr lrsts, m r r a