Nanomechanics for MEMS: a structural design perspective

Abstract

Nanomechanics and structural design of MEMS are intimately tied together. As mechanical properties of hard materials are found to be strongly sample-size dependent, new criteria are in demand for size-dependent structural analysis and design of MEMS components. The paper offers a critical survey of some of the most interesting and challenging advances in nanomechanics of metals from a MEMS design standpoint. The emphasis is not just on sample size effects in intrinsic properties (in plasticity, elasticity and fracture) but also on extrinsic effects arising in material testing of super hard nano-sized samples and crucially affecting MEMS performance if discarded.