Active mechanical-environmental-thermal MEMS device for nanoscale characterization
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device can be used for quantitative mechanical testing of materials within a controlled (chemical and temperature) environment, with the ability for electrochemical control to the specimen, that is coupled with a complimentary in-situ characterization technique.
1. A EMS device for micro-to-nanoscale characterization, comprising:
a sealed environmental chamber comprising a sample holder for physical control of a material sample and a membrane window for transmitting radiation into the sealed environmental chamber for characterization of the material sample; and
a moveable piston attached to the sample holder for applying a mechanical force to the material sample, herein the piston can be moved by an actuator external to the sealed environmental chamber.
2. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the device is fabricated using surface and bulk silicon micromachining.
3. The MEMS device of claim 1 , further comprising a heater for heating the material sample.
4. The MEMS device of claim 1 , further corn comprising electrical contacts connected to the material sample for electrochemical measurement.
5. The MEMS device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor connected to the actuator that provides quantitative measurement of the piston displacement.
6. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the radiation comprises photons, electrons, or x-rays.
7. The EMS device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane window comprise silicon nitride.
8. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane window has a thickness of less than 100 nm.
9. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the membrane window and the material sample is less than 1 μm.
10. The MEMS device of claim 1 , further comprising and a second membrane window for transmitting radiation from the material sample out of the sealed environmental chamber.
11. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the radiation transmitted into the sealed environmental chamber comprises an electron beam of a transmission electron microscope and wherein the membrane is transparent to the electron beam.
12. The MEMS ice of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical force comprises a tensile force.