In Situ SEM Nanomanipulation and Nanomechanical/Electrical Characterization

In the past decades, in situ scanning electron microscopy(SEM) has become a powerful technique for the experimentalstudy of nanomaterials, since it can provide unprecedenteddetails for individual nanostructures upon mechanical andelectrical stimulus, uncovering the fundamental deformationand failure mechanisms for their device applications, suchas nanoelectronics, solar cells, and sensors. This special issueaims at exhibiting the latest research achievements, findings,and ideas in the field of in situ SEM nanomanipulation,nanomechanical/electrical characterization, and nanoassem-bly. In order to give clear introduction and guideline toresearchers new to this field, C. Jiang et al. firstly offered anoverview about some recent progresses from the literature.They have classified the recent advances of in situ SEMmechanical characterization techniques into tensile, com-pression, indentation, and bending tests. The state-of-the-art electromechanical coupling analysis was also discussed.Finally, the history of micro/nanomanipulation techniqueswas also presented, including the critical challenges for thedevelopment and design of robust in situ SEM characteriza-tion