Self-assembled poly(amide amine)-copper (PAMAM/Cu) film on silicon was prepared and investigated by means of contact angle measurement, XPS and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The tribological properties were evaluated using a reciprocal ball-on-disc test rig and a lateral force microscope. Results of XPS show the existence of Cu(0) and PAMAM molecule on the surface of the film. Compared with the self-assembled monolayer of the poly(amide amine) generation 4.0 dendrimer, the friction force of PAMAM/Cu film is lower and the friction coefficient is smaller which can be attributed to the existence of Cu nanoparticles. The PAMAM/Cu film shows a good lubrication effect. The stability of friction and wear resistance of film is improved. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.