Micro/nano materials testing for reliable design of MEMS/NEMS

This paper describes evaluation techniques of mechanical properties for MEMS/NEMS materials. Micro/Nano Mechanics Laboratory (MNML) in Ritsumeikan, have so far been established several kinds of micro/nano material testing methods for structural design of MEMS/NEMS. Nanoscale bending testing based on an AFM technique was developed to reveal specimen size and temperature effects on elastic-inelastic properties of self-supported single crystal silicon (SCS) nanowires [1], [2]. Fatigue tests of micro- and nanometric SCS specimens were also performed under bending/tensile stressing. Here, a new fatigue damage parameter was proposed for predicting fatigue lives of SCS structures, regardless of deformation mode and specimen size [3], [4]. The tensile tester using AFM revealed stress-strain relation and creep characteristic of electroplated nickel (Ni) films at temperatures ranging from 300 K to 573 K. A few latest testing methods for micro/nano scale specimens are also introduced in this paper.