Abstract In this article, we review recent advances in solid experimental techniques for the mechanical characterization of materials and structures at micro and nano scales with emphasis in the optical and probe techniques. Advantages and disadvantages of various approaches are discussed to highlight the need for clamping, loading, force and displacement measuring, as well as carefully designed experiments and rigorous and coupling analysis of experimentally obtained data to yield unambiguous results. By introducing typical studies we demonstrate that the development of robust and innovative experimentation and system is crucial for the tests in micro/nano experiments.
2010, Vol. 31 
