Mechanical property measurement at the micro/nano-scale

The introduction of sensors and actuators that have features on the scale of micrometres and nanometres has created a demand for new test methods to determine the mechanical properties of the materials used in them. These devices are fabricated by processes that are used in the microelectronics industry, and test specimens must be produced by the same processes. An entirely new area of experimental solid mechanics has developed over the past 15 years to meet these needs, and this paper summarises some of the progress. The coverage is limited to uniaxial tensile and compressive tests as these are the premier and standardised tests for macrospecimens.