Novel Methods for the Site Specific Preparation of Micromechanical Structures

Abstract

Abstract The ongoing trend towards miniaturization in various fields of material science requires the capability to investigate the local mechanical properties of the concerned structures by miniaturized mechanical experiments. Besides nanoindentation, miniaturized experiments such as micro-compression, micro-tension, micro-bending, or micro-fracture tests were employed frequently in recent times. A major challenge for these experiments is the fabrication of specimens. Therefore, we present different approaches to prepare miniaturized testing objects in a site specific way, using strategies that employ chemical etching, broad beam ion milling, and focussed ion beam milling. Depending on the required sample size and precision, the typical strategies for sample fabrication will be outlined, and the benefits and drawbacks of the techniques are discussed. Finally, applications of specimens produced by the different procedures are presented.